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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30022053">On the Other Side</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jumelini/pseuds/Jumelini'>Jumelini</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:48:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>61,769</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30022053</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jumelini/pseuds/Jumelini</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>During the game, we see everything from the perspective of Cloud and his companions as they chase Sephiroth across the world, but perhaps he wasn't the villain they thought he was...there is more to this story than previously realized. Discover the other side of the story with Shinra employee Margaret Simonson as she uncovers the many secrets about Shinra, Sephiroth, and herself.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sephiroth/Original Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a normal work day at the #8 mako reactor. Margaret Simonson had once again worked late as she finished up reports and schedules for the following week. It wasn’t a glorious job, but she took pride in it. She had started as a mere secretary and worked her way up to office manager. She had held the position for almost two years and was happy to finally be settled in her career. </p>
<p>She sighed and brushed her long, golden-blond locks away from her delicate brown eyes. The clock warned her that if she stayed much longer, she would end up sleeping in the office again. She decided she would rather sleep in her own bed that night. She got up and started to pack her things. <em> Just a few more days </em> , she mused,  <em> and then I can finally get the break I deserve </em>. </p>
<p>Just as she was about to head out the door, she was interrupted by Jacob, the office security guard. He was in a standard issue infantry suit: thick blue cargo pants with a matching short sleeve shirt, accessorized by brown belts, suspenders, gloves, and boots, in addition to the pale green kerchief around his neck. There were also metal armor pieces covering his shoulders and knees. There was a helmet as well, which he was not wearing, but this was normal since his job position rarely required any action. Work in the mako reactors was generally pretty quiet and he had been stationed here almost as long as she had been office manager. He had dusty brown hair with flecks of red, and his eyes matched almost exactly. Margaret had often taken the time to observe that even with his laid-back job, he worked hard to stay in good shape and always took the time to shave his face before work. </p>
<p>Before she had any time to make pleasantries with him, she noticed the stern look on his face. She couldn’t help but frown; his expression was alarming since she couldn’t recall him ever making a serious face before. "Maggie, I think there's a problem ... you'd better come look at this," he said, beckoning her to the surveillance room. She followed him inside, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the dim monitors in the darkness. </p>
<p>"What is it?" she asked tiredly as she looked at the screen. A group of little green dots were moving quickly towards the center of the reactor. <em> Great, </em>  she thought,  <em> just what I need … </em> </p>
<p>"Jacob, who would that be at a time like this? … Is someone actually breaking into the reactor?" The idea seemed absurd to her, considering the only purpose of the facility was the transfer of energy to the citizens living in the sectors of Midgar and the corporate headquarters in the center of town. They didn’t keep any money here. There wasn't anything of considerable value here. It was true that not everyone had a good opinion about Shinra, the company that founded the city, but what were the intruders hoping to accomplish? </p>
<p>"The fact that they got in is what is really strange … They couldn’t have just broken in; they would have to know the codes … They know what they’re doing, more or less…" Jacob said, studying the monitor.  </p>
<p>"I really don't need this,” Maggie almost whined. “Can’t you just call the robo guards? I’m going to head home before this gets any worse. I'm about to go on vacation and I’d hate to have to cancel it." She turned away and walked back towards the door. </p>
<p>Jacob turned to look at her as she walked. <em> It's a pity that someone so pretty had to end up working in a dirty reactor </em> , he thought. He stared at her long, shimmering gold hair and slender body. She wasn’t tall, but her proportions were all just right.  <em> Not too much chest and plenty in the </em> <em>  back </em>, he observed perversely. When he took this job, he hadn't expected to have such a pretty target to observe. Before he could do anything else, an alarm rang out overhead: BLEEP! BLEEP! EVACUATE THE BUILDING. A BOMB HAS BEEN DETECTED. I REPEAT, EVACUATE THE BUILDING. </p>
<p>Swearing, Jacob hit the release for the robo guards and ran to Maggie, grabbing her wrist. He shouted at her: "LET'S GO!" They ran down the corridor towards the nearest exit. Maggie’s mind was racing. <em> A bomb? Who would want to blow up a reactor!? The explosion will kill hundreds! It has been years since the war, so why now? </em> </p>
<p>They turned the corner and Jacob suddenly stopped. "There's something I have to do, okay?” he said distantly while pulling out his phone from his pocket. “Go on without me!"  </p>
<p>With that, he pushed her in the opposite direction. Maggie started running down the passage on her own. <em> What is he going to do? Is he trying to be a hero?  </em>She opened the door leading to the facility’s main corridor and ran through. The smell of machinery met her nose and the eerie, cool breeze from the mako energy below chilled her skin as usual. </p>
<p>In this area of the facility, where she only ever passed through on her way to and from her office, she always felt uneasy. Just below her was the giant pool of mako energy. It had a bright greenish glow that always illuminated the room and made her uncomfortable. She never really understood what it actually was, only that it was used as the main source of energy around the world. It was the thing that allowed Midgar and many other cities to have power, and considerably increased the standard of living. Yet why did she, especially since she saw it every day, always get a knot in her stomach when she passed through this room? </p>
<p>The alarmed raged on and red lights flashed, bringing her attention back to the matter at hand. <em> How could I get distracted at a time like this?  </em> She finished passing over the  mako  and continued running through the main entrance corridor.  <em> The gate! </em>  She put in the security code.  <em> Almost there!  </em>Her heart pounded, her mouth was dry, and her throat burned, but she knew the exit was just around the corner … <em> Who knows how much time I actually have, though? </em>  As she approached the corner, she saw some  unusual  people come running from the maintenance section. Her eyes widened.  <em> The intruders! </em> </p>
<p>There was a big man with a gun grafted into his right arm, replacing the hand that had once been there. The people around him looked like small children compared to him. There were three others with him, but one in particular caught her attention. His hair was blond and stuck straight up; it was really spiky. Her mind raced back to reality as she heard footsteps tap softly behind her. She turned around. </p>
<p>"Jacob!” she exclaimed as she saw the security guard approach her calmly. "Hurry, maybe we can still make it!” </p>
<p>"No rush," he said in a dark voice that she had never heard him use before. </p>
<p>"WHAT? What's going on, Jacob… Are you okay?" </p>
<p>"I'm fine, but I have some bad news for you … you’re staying here.” </p>
<p>She stopped in her tracks and stared at him with an appalled look on her face. "Staying here? What the heck are you talking about?" </p>
<p>"Simple. Professor Hojo requires that you stay here for a little experiment," he said calmly while slowly walking past her.  </p>
<p>"Hojo? What!?" </p>
<p>He looked at her with an expression in his eyes she had never seen before, and he smiled as he added, “Do it for science, won't you?" Before she could answer, he took the butt of his gun and hit her in the gut. She doubled over, gasping for air, and he headed for the exit. She gritted her teeth and scrambled clumsily after him. Not quickly enough, though... </p>
<p>Jacob turned to look at her as he passed through the exit. "Good girl, Maggie," he said with a wry smile, and sealed the door shut. </p>
<p>"NOOO!" she screamed, reaching the door just as it slammed down in front of her. "Don't leave me here! Jacob!!! JACOB!!!!" She banged on the door with her fists. Where was the next nearest exit? Would he have already sealed those as well? She slumped to the floor, defeated. Even if she managed to get out, what would be the point now? What on earth could Hojo, Shinra’s top scientist, want with her?... <em> Why? Why did this have to happen? Where did I go wrong? </em> She mentally searched through her life looking for clues, but then her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden rush of heat and all faded into darkness. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>I shouldn’t be alive … and yet I know I am. If I was dead, it wouldn’t hurt so much to breathe. </em>
</p>
<p>Maggie’s eyes fluttered open. The sky was blue above her. It looked oddly serene and beautiful  despite the pile of wreckage she was most assuredly in. <em>Well, let’s take it slow, first things first. </em></p>
<p>She tried to move her hand: success. Her arm… Easy. Legs… No issue. Her head: sore, but otherwise fine. She sighed… she really had survived. <em>How could I possibly have survived an explosion?</em></p>
<p>Maggie put her hand to her face and felt the soot and charcoal smear across her forehead and cheek. <em>Well, what now? Do I just get up and walk home? Is it safe to go home?</em> <em> Well, whatever happens, no point in staying here. </em></p>
<p>Rising to her feet, she surveyed the hole that used to be a reactor. She had actually been thrown quite far . The door that Jacob had used to seal her in must not have done much to keep her in after all. Maybe it was just a fluke she survived… Maybe she had been far enough away from the center of the blast. </p>
<p>As she walked, she looked around at the broken buildings and saw shattered glass and crumbling walls: the entire block surrounding the reactor had been completely decimated. Her stomach tied into a knot… It was <span class="u">not</span> natural that she had survived.</p>
<p>Before she could really come to a decision about what to do, she heard something moving in the distance. She could hide in the wreckage, but would there be any point?  <em>The better question is probably: what will they do to me if they find me?</em></p>
<p>Using that as all the motivation she needed, she scrambled for a place to hide. However, she was not fast enough.  </p>
<p>“Over there!” someone called out. “I think someone survived!”</p>
<p>So, were they looking for her or just anyone? They had already seen her, so why try to hide and look suspicious? She started towards the people who had called out. It was a group of Shinra soldiers who were part of a survey crew.</p>
<p>One of them ran up to her and took her by the arm with concern. “Miss, are you okay?” He continued on before she could answer. “You’re bleeding!” <em>Am I? </em>“Someone, get a stretcher, she needs medical attention!”</p>
<p>Maggie looked down at herself and saw the shrapnel in her side for the first time, and the blood trickling out. <em>Ah… I must be in shock…</em></p>
<p>She didn’t remember much after that. A little bit of the soldier who carried her in his arms. The bit of conversation between him and the other soldiers as they walked: something  about being out all night looking for the terrorists, and what a miracle it was she was alive.</p>
<p>When they reached the medical facility, doctors came rushing to treat her, but Maggie didn't catch who whispered in their ears before the doctors suddenly declared her dead and had her shipped out. All she remembered was the wheeling of the gurney, the movement of a vehicle, and then darkness.</p>
<p>Something or someone poked her in the face.</p>
<p>She twitched in discomfort. <em>Still alive after all… </em></p>
<p>She opened her eyes slowly, afraid of what she might see. Her body was sprawled out on a cold lab table. The  shrapnel had been removed from her side and replaced by a sizable bandage. The light overhead was blinding, but she could hear someone shuffling about.</p>
<p>“Don’t move just yet,” said a raspy voice that was almost a cackle. “You are unfortunately in worse condition than  I would have liked, but if my theory is correct, it won’t take you long to recover.”</p>
<p>The person turned away from her and spoke to someone else in the room: “Go ahead and put it with the other one. It’s a shame to have to wait at all, but at least I’m not working from scratch anymore.”  </p>
<p>She tried to move, but found it nearly impossible to do so. The slightest movement of her head made her feel extremely dizzy and sick to her stomach. “I told you, don’t. You’ve been sedated,” the voice continued, and laughed a little, “since I don’t know what you’re capable of, yet…”</p>
<p>Her body was scooped off the table and hauled to a different room in the back. There were a bunch of tall, slender tubes with, as far as her drugged eyes could decipher , people in them. She was placed in one of the empty tubes  and sat limply as they attached monitors to her body. After they were done, they sealed the tube and initiated some sort of sequence on a nearby panel . Green liquid started to rise up around her. She sighed inwardly and thought bleakly, <em>At least I’m not in pain… for now…</em></p>
<p>Sometime later, she came to, feeling much better than before. There was no telling how long it had been, just that the lab was now dark, aside from the eerie green light from the few tubes that were lit . There was a dull pain in her side now, but it was almost non-existent considering how grave her injuries had been. The drugs had worn off and she could see much clearer than before, albeit through a lens of green liquid. </p>
<p>The other tubes in the room were empty for the most part. Some had animal looking things inside, but no other humans like herself... aside from one. Across from her, there was a man.</p>
<p>He was a tall man with long, silver hair reaching down below his hips, almost to his knees. <em>Hardly practical</em>, she thought realistically . He was built strong with the broadest shoulders she had ever seen. He had an angular face with sharp features. He was— Maggie was not blind— he  was a magnificent specimen of man. </p>
<p><em>Specimen… I suppose that is what we are now</em> <em>. </em>Even with that thought, it was comforting that she would not be alone. She cocked her head at him… He looked familiar… It had been years, but… hadn’t he been, or rather, wasn’t he… Sephiroth? The Great Sephiroth? Shinra’s top dog? She remembered when she had just started working as a secretary that the other office girls would swarm over his  . She had always laughed and felt sorry for the man— such crazy girls in his fan club—  but she had  . All in all, she knew little about him. He was the man that had single handedly turned the tide in the war with Wutai, but he had been missing for 5 years, declared dead one day out of the blue . <em>Obviously not, </em>she thought as she continued to stare at him.</p>
<p>She moved a hand through the liquid and placed it up against the glass. Seeing him now, floating peacefully, not even ten feet away from her… She had seen his poster and thought of him as attractive, but never anything more than that… So why did she now feel something so… powerful? A burning  in her chest, almost a need. <em>Maybe it’s the just the drugs wearing off, or maybe I am just really happy to not be alone right now. </em>Yet she stared on, transfixed.</p>
<p>Time seemed to drag on... How long would they leave her in here? Finding herself incapable of anything else, she started mentally talking to him to help pass the time. Once the conservation started to get a little stale, she found herself drifting off to sleep again.</p>
<p>It didn’t feel like much time had passed before there was a sudden coldness, the liquid was drained, and the door to her tube was opened. A man in a lab suit took her by the arm and injected what she was supposed was more sedative before helping her to her feet. The drugs were fast acting. Her eyelids drooped and she almost felt a little giddy.</p>
<p>“Come along now,” he said. “Let’s get you cleaned up for Hojo.” The man helped her into some dry clothes (shorts and a t-shirt) and then walked her to the next room where a soldier was waiting for her. She became alert  almost instantly— it was Jacob.</p>
<p>He smiled coyly at her. “Hey there, Maggie, I’m glad you made it.” Glaring, she looked away. She was disgusted with him.  He took her by the arm and led her out. “There’s a good girl.” Jacob led her to a small elevator.</p>
<p>The man in the lab coat called out from behind them, “Hojo will be waiting in his lab on Floor 68.” </p>
<p>Jacob nodded and helped Maggie into the elevator. Even though she felt more aware now, she figured the drug was still making her compliant.</p>
<p>68<sup>th</sup> floor… There was only one building that tall in Midgar: Shinra Headquarters . It was a long ride; they had to change elevators twice. Fortunately, Jacob didn’t try to make any conversation with her. To think that after all that time working at the same reactor, Jacob could treat her so callously. Had he been stationed there just to watch her? She had worked there for years; why had they waited so long to bring her here? What had they been waiting for ?</p>
<p>Once they reached Floor 66 , Jacob escorted her to the right. They walked down the hallway and rounded the corner to the left. They took a door on the left and then went up another flight of stairs to the 67<sup>th</sup> floor. It led out into another hallway that they followed until they reached a more open area littered with crates. Her heart pounded as she walked past a large container on her right. She stopped in her tracks and looked at it. A blue glowing light came from a small window and she couldn’t quite make out what was inside. Jacob turned to look at her. Maggie's heart beat frantically as she stared at the container. A slow, steady heart beat came from inside, she could hear it… She tried to take a step towards the container and Jacob jerked her away. “No need to worry about that. Come along.” She followed him again, but found it hard to look away. As they walked on, something on her left also caught her attention. A smaller container was hooked up to an elevator that held a   inside. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. It appeared to be sleeping.   that there was a lot about the company that she worked for that she didn’t know or understand, and something about it all left a sinking feeling in her gut.</p>
<p>They followed the hallway to another, smaller lift, but just as they reached a secluded spot, Jacob pulled her to him and stroked her hair with his free hand. Despite apparently being ordered to do so , he had always been there to crack a joke and make her smile. She didn’t have many friends, and now especially, she wanted to have one.</p>
<p>He pulled away and she looked at him with hope and surprise. He smirked. Something about his eyes sent chills up her spine. His eyes were dark and cruel; it was the same look he had given her the night of the explosion. He was not her friend. She looked away. She didn't want to look at the man she had once thought might be a possible future for her.  <br/><br/>“This will be the last chance I get, so I’m going to make the most of it,” he said darkly. He grabbed her chin, making her look at him, and then pressed his lips against hers with a fierceness that made her lips hurt. One of his arms slipped around her, pulling her closer to him, and he slid his other hand   over her body.  <br/><br/>Anger raced through her. <em>That jerk! To take advantage of me at a time like this!</em> She felt a strong emotion well up from deep inside of her, something unforgiving and full of hate. She had never been this angry before. It made her want to hurt him. With an inhuman strength, she broke his grasp and shoved him away. <em>To think she ever thought of him as a friend… To think everything had been a façade.</em> She glared at him. He was obviously surprised she had been able to break his grasp. <br/><br/>“Don’t think I enjoyed that even for a second!” she yelled at him, spitting with anger and embarrassment. She thought of kicking him, but then realized that she was free. She turned to run, but wasn’t quick enough. Jacob grabbed her wrist. She fought to get free. He twisted her arm  and threw her down to the ground.  <br/><br/>“How dare you!” he yelled, and then slapped her. She winced in pain and let out a soft cry. She tried to get up,  but he grabbed her and hit her again. She kicked at him, but her attempts were useless. Her face hurt and she knew she was going to have a bruise. He dragged her into the elevator kicking and screaming. She landed a few blows on his shins and one on his lower jaw. <br/><br/>When they reached Hojo’s lab, he practically threw her inside . A hunched and sinister-looking man approached them. He had long black hair and the face of one who had long since become desensitized to a great many inhumane things.  happy to see them at first, and then frowned when he saw Jacob holding Maggie by her hair, looking rather frazzled. He gave a “tsk” and pushed up his glasses while giving a disapproving glance. “Really, I thought you were capable of taking care of this one. ” He noticed a scratch on Jacob’s chin.  </p>
<p>“With pleasure, Professor Hojo,” Jacob replied. He almost slammed her on the table, and strapped her down tightly— too tightly . She could feel the circulation being cut off from her limbs. <br/><br/>Hojo walked over to her, inspecting a needle filled with a clear   Without saying a word, he injected it in her arm. Pain seared through her, causing her to cry out. The pain blinded her; all she wanted was for it to stop, but the pain only increased. She felt her arm muscles tighten and cramp. Just when she thought she was going to pass out, the pain finally stopped. Her arms and legs went limp, and her body flopped back against the table. She couldn’t feel anything now, not even the rise and fall of her own chest.</p>
<p>“There, that should do it.” Hojo turned to Jacob. “I can take it from here. You are dismissed.” Maggie couldn’t turn her head to see, but she heard Jacob's footsteps growing distant and then the quiet rumble of the lift. Hojo turned back to her and loosened the straps that held her down. He laid her arms down at her sides and started to examine her. He was surprisingly delicate with her. Whatever it was he wanted with her, at least part of it was that she was healthy and intact.</p>
<p>Once he was finished with the physical exam, he wheeled her over to a large machine. It was an odd tube that glowed with a blue light, and the scan  only took a moment or two. She could hear him furiously scribbling notes. The scan complete, he pulled her out of the machine and then took a small blood sample from her arm.</p>
<p>“That’s all for today.” He spoke to a lab assistant that Maggie hadn't noticed.  “I will need some time to analyze the results, but so far, things are looking promising. I hear I will soon have another specimen returned to me, so please get the room prepared for another round of examinations. The milder sedative should be more than sufficient for that one.”</p>
<p>“Yes, Professor Hojo,” said the lab assistant .</p>
<p>Hojo continued, “It’s so nice after all these years to finally be able to get back on track with so much of my research.” He sighed cheerfully. “Have this one taken back to the basement. We’ll pick things back up tomorrow. It still has a little bit of healing to do, but fortunately, nothing important has been permanently damaged.” </p>
<p>The movement of the gurney Maggie  was on made her vision blur. She figured she probably felt nauseous, but in reality, she didn’t really feel anything. It didn’t seem to take nearly as long to get back to where she had been before as it had taken to get up there. The lab assistant wheeled over to her tube and placed her inside once more. The glowing green liquid returned and Maggie felt exhausted from all that had happened. She closed her eyes and let herself sleep.</p>
<p>When she awoke, the lab was dark again. Only the green light from the tubes lit the room. The sedative had worn off, and she was glad it had. Searching, she found Sephiroth, unmoved, unchanged... <em>At least I had someone to look forward to seeing again</em>, she thought bittersweetly. He looked to be in pretty good condition, like the scientists had taken care of him at least to a degree; she hoped her case would be the same... It had been 5 years for him… Would they spend the rest of their lives in captivity at the whim of Shinra scientists? Maggie did not want to spend the rest of her life that way, but escaping on her own seemed like an impossible task.</p>
<p>She tried to move closer to the glass to get a better look at Sephiroth . Why did he never move or seem to be conscious? Maybe, if she could just get him out, they could escape together. She would figure out what to do with her life after they were free, but she at least needed to get to a place where she could  make that decision for herself.</p>
<p>Tapping on the glass, she tried to get his attention, but to  no avail. She would just have to come up with a plan. Maybe she could make a break for it tomorrow,  when they came back for her… Today it had just been the one scientist and he hadn’t expected any trouble from her, so maybe they wouldn’t expect it. Although… after the exhibition with Jacob, they might be more cautious tomorrow.</p>
<p>She looked around the room. There had to be something to work with… She studied everything around her as best she could: the placement of tools, the device that operated the tubes... Yes, there were things she could work with, but all of it would be for nothing if Sephiroth did not wake   her even if he did wake up. She would wait, for now, and cooperate with the scientists. If an opportunity presented itself, maybe she could get to Sephiroth or, at the very least, catch the scientists off guard.</p>
<p>Finally, she decided that she had observed all she could from the dark room and stared at Sephiroth, wondering what he was actually like, until she fell back asleep.</p>
<p>  </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After sleeping soundly through the night, Maggie awoke feeling groggy. Sure, she was healing, but sleeping too much can make a person feel just as lousy as not getting enough. She scanned the room and looked over at Sephiroth just in time for the lab assistant to come in and do what she guessed were his routine morning checks. He came over to her tube, read the digital monitor, and scribbled a few notes. She watched with a blank expression and he didn’t even seem to notice.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He tapped the monitor and then adjusted a setting before moving over to Sephiroth’s tube. She secretly hoped that the lab assistant would wake him up, but instead he just fiddled with a few settings, made a few notes, and then left the room. She sighed, hoping that that would not be the only “exciting” moment of the day. Then she recalled that she would be spending time with </span>
  <span>Hojo</span>
  <span> again today, and regretted wishing for anything more.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, no one came back to get her or even came into the lab again. It seemed weird that it would be a low traffic area and even weirder that there had been a change in schedule. Or maybe she really was just that bored by herself. She mentally played through</span>
  
  <span>her escape plan again. It required more patience and trust than she was normally comfortable with, but she had faith that if she waited patiently, the moment she needed would come.</span>
  
  <span>Surely, if she could just get free and just get to Sephiroth, then they could both get out of here.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth was definitely a key piece in her plan, but even if he wasn’t, even if she figured out a way to get out on her own, she felt obligated to try and save him. He, too, had been held prisoner here for who knows how long. She couldn’t think of anyone who wanted to spend their life suspended in liquid in a glass tube in some dank, dark basement.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, so much time had passed that Maggie began to question if they really had forgotten about her, and then, without warning, the lights flickered and went out. The walls and ceiling shook, and there was a slow whine that grew into a loud groan. Something big was happening, but it was so dark she couldn’t see. </span>
  <span>The noise soon grew so loud that she thought for sure that the basement would collapse on itself, and then, right at the crescendo, a deafening bang echoed through the darkness. There was the sound of shattering glass all around her, and she felt herself lurch forward with the escaping liquid. </span>
  <span>She hit the ground hard and felt shards of glass prick her skin. She lay still as the noise rang out at length until, at last, there was only silence. She didn’t know how long it stayed that way.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie still could not grasp what had happened. Eventually, emergency lighting flickered on and she was able to see that the tube she </span>
  <span>had been</span>
  <span> in, along with Sephiroth’s, had smashed open. The other tubes, which had been empty, seemed to be intact for the most part. She looked over at Sephiroth; he lay motionless on the floor.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gingerly, she crawled over to him and shook him gently by the arm. Nothing. She tried to sit him up, but with her minimal strength, she only managed to flip him over on his back. She held his hand with one hand, and stroked damp hair away from his face with the other. She gasped </span>
  <span>when she noticed his</span>
  <span> eyes were already open, wide… and blank. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What had they done to him?</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She called out to him gently, “Hey, are you alright?” He didn’t respond. She sighed, feeling frustrated. He was so heavy… she couldn’t possibly carry him. “Hey, we’ve got to get out of here…” She tried to shake him gently, but still nothing. Smiling, almost in defeat, she whispered to him, “It’s Sephiroth the Great, is it not?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He did respond to that. His eyes, suddenly aware, turned to hers, and he spoke in a low rumble. “</span>
  <span>That’s me… That’s who I am</span>
  <span>.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She almost laughed. “Well, at least that’s who I see before me, and I don’t believe you could be anyone else.” She smiled warmly at him, trying to be comforting since she didn’t know if they would even have a chance to escape at this point.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyebrows knitted together. “</span>
  <span>But who are you, and where are we</span>
  <span>?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m Margaret, but you can call me Maggie.” She sighed. “We’re somewhere in </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> headquarters, deep in the basement, I think... All I can assume is that </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> is keeping us for experiments… To what end I don’t know… but if at all possible, I’d like to not find out.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Confusion covered his face; he was trying to piece a lot of things together that didn’t make sense… </span>
  <em>
    <span>What was the last thing he remembered? </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t try and figure it all out now,” she told him softly. “Who knows how long you’ve actually been here, and what all they’ve done to you.” She really couldn’t even fathom it herself. “Once we get out of here, we can take it slow and figure it out little by little.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stared </span>
  <span>at </span>
  <span>her, speechless, and locked</span>
  <span> eyes with her… They were brown and gentle, warm and inviting… almost to the point of being intoxicating. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why would she say something like that, and why did she…?</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She averted her eyes from him and blushed. “Do— do you think you can stand?” He was confused by her reaction, but nodded and sat up. He held his hands to his face for a moment, massaged his temples, and then rose to his feet. He saw his reflection </span>
  <span>in one of the tubes that remained intact, and</span>
  <span> remembered. In that reflection stood a man with long silver hair and piercing turquoise eyes. He still wore his old uniform, albeit the jacket was currently missing. The uniform had long black pants and boots with a high belt that covered most of his midsection. The man was tall with </span>
  <span>distinctly sharp features.</span>
  <span> He was the Great Sephiroth, General of the </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> Army. He had won every battle ever fought… he was a </span>
  <span>SOLDIER,</span>
  <span> the best there ever was. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So, why was he here?</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turned around and looked at Maggie, who was now standing as well… She looked incredibly tiny now that he towered over her. He noticed the cuts and scrapes that covered her body from the broken glass; the white shirt and shorts had not done much to protect her. From her wet hair, several curls had started to emerge defiantly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie looked up at Sephiroth and couldn’t help but marvel. She had been watching him these last (two?) days, but seeing him standing now, and the intensity of his eyes… he... was unlike anything she had imagined… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe those fangirls knew what they were talking about after all.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Timidly, she looked around the dimly lit room, and then asked anticlimactically, “Shall we make our escape?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Did you have a plan?</span>
  <span>” he asked her bluntly. She blushed in embarrassment.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The plan was to wake you up and see if you knew how to get us out…” She blushed even deeper. “I haven’t had the time to work out anything else…”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stared at her, again bewildered, </span>
  <span>but— and it was something that caught him completely off guard</span>
  <span>— he</span>
  <span> couldn’t </span>
  <span>help but notice how… interesting she looked with her reddened features. He decided not to dwell on it and looked around the room. “</span>
  <span>I’m not entirely sure where we are,</span>
  <span>” he stated.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can get us to the elevator, but I don’t know where to go</span>
  <span>... Hopefully things will be familiar to you after that</span>
  <span>...” She turned and scurried towards the exit of the room, carefully trying to avoid glass with her bare feet. He followed after her, but as he walked, he felt the room start to spin. Everything… everything was too much to take in. He barely made it to the next room before he slumped back to the floor.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie stopped as she entered the next room. Not to her surprise, there were a handful of soldiers waiting for them. She sighed in lament; she knew it was too much to hope that they had been forgotten about. Then she heard Sephiroth hit the ground behind her. Looking back, she carefully stepped towards him.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s not put up a fight now,” stated one of the soldiers calmly and confidently. “Cooperate and we won’t hurt you.” She wasn’t sure what would happen if she tried anything, and clearly Sephiroth had not yet recovered from his long sleep, so she knew there wasn’t anything that she could do on her own that wouldn’t result in utter failure. Maggie looked back at them and nodded.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>One of the soldiers ran over to her and led her by the arm; two others ran to Sephiroth and carried him over their shoulders. “Alright, men, you know the order; let’s move quickly and be discrete— make sure no one sees us.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They all clambered into the elevator and followed the same path as before: up to the 66</span>
  <span>th</span>
  <span> floor and then up a flight of stairs to the 67th. </span>
  <span>Hojo</span>
  <span> met them at the door and hurried them through as he whispered</span>
  <span>, “Let’s get them back to the containment cells. Put them in the one furthest in the back— I don’t want anyone seeing them.” He saw Sephiroth stirring and </span>
  <span>tsked</span>
  <span> his annoyance. “I’ll get them some sedative... that should keep them behaved until we get everything else under control.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Quickly, the soldiers ushered them to the holding cells (which looked to Maggie to be the same as prison cells) and </span>
  <span>pushed them inside.</span>
  <span> They lay Sephiroth on the bed, and a moment later </span>
  <span>Hojo</span>
  <span> joined them and administered the sedative. Sephiroth writhed for a moment before flopping back unconscious against the bed. Maggie had scrunched against the wall; she remembered that stuff. Seeing her state, </span>
  <span>Hojo</span>
  <span> ordered the men to hold her down as he injected her as well. It was just as bad as she remembered, and then she too flopped to the ground. The last thing she heard before blacking out completely was an annoyed cackle of voice speaking: “We’ll move them once things quiet down.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she awoke, she found Sephiroth staring at her groggily. He looked like he might throw up. She tried to move but found her ability to do so sluggish at best. She sat up very slowly and scooted herself over to him. Almost because she had to, she laid her head on the bed beside him with her face towards his. She felt pretty sick herself.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How are you doing?” she asked him weakly. He closed his eyes slowly and then opened them again, trying to focus on her. Either he didn’t know what to say or he couldn’t say anything. “It’s ok,” she told him softly, “you should feel better when it wears off the rest of the way… if they don’t give us another dose before then.” She tried to smile at him but struggled to do so. “We’ll get out of here… They can’t keep us here forever.” She wasn’t sure if she meant the room or the building.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth blinked.</span>
  
  <span>“Who are you again</span>
  <span>?</span>
  <span>” he asked her quietly. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie looked at him with sad and groggy eyes. “Margaret, or Maggie,'' she reminded him. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He weakly shook his head. “</span>
  <span>That’s not what I meant.</span>
  <span>”  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nodding her understanding, she added on: “Apparently, an office manager worth experimenting on. At least, that’s all I was before recent events.” She furrowed her eyebrows at him. “And what about you? Why would </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> keep their greatest SOLDIER ever hidden in the basement? You’ve been missing for so long now...”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth’s eyes widened momentarily before looking down, thought marring his features. </span>
  <span>“...How… long have I been missing?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She took a deep breath before answering. “I’m not sure what the implications are, but</span>
  <span>.... it’s</span>
  <span> been 5 years.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>So long… Why would… How could…”</span>
  <span> His eyes darted back and forth, and something stirred in his expression, something old and haunting. </span>
  <span>“I was planning on leaving, quitting... disappearing…”</span>
  <span> He paused, letting it come back to him. </span>
  <span>“I only ever told…”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He brought a hand slowly up to his face and pressed his fingers into his brow. </span>
  <span>“It was right before my next... last mission to </span>
  <span>Nibelheim</span>
  <span>, one last mission before I left for good.”</span>
  <span> He brought his thumb and forefingers together. As he did, Maggie noticed something on the back of his hand that she hadn’t seen before. Sephiroth continued, </span>
  <span>“So, why don’t I remember? What did they...?”</span>
  <span> Despite the sedative, his voice grew dark and angry. </span>
  <span>“Those bastards… They’re bastards, the whole lot of them.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie looked at him, and smiled weakly. “Can’t say I would argue that point.” She gingerly took his hand from his face and inspected it. “What’s this here?” On his hand was a tattoo, a roman numeral one. Not large, but definitely noticeable. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth brought his hand back and looked at it. </span>
  <span>“I don’t know.”</span>
  <span> His eyebrows came together. </span>
  <span>“It definitely wasn’t there before.”</span>
  <span> Neither of them had a guess as to what the tattoo could mean, but Maggie could see that he was troubled by it, so she slowly brought his hand back down and attempted to change the subject.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you think we can escape?” There was trembling in her voice and her eyes were sad. She had meant to grab his hand in an attempt to comfort him, but found herself grasping it tightly, looking for reassurance. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll no longer be </span>
  <span>Shinra’s</span>
  <span> puppet, let alone kept in a cage…”</span>
  <span> he growled, and gripped her hand back unconsciously. She felt the strength in those hands, and she took comfort in it. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was hoping you would say something like that,” she smiled at him. “I don’t want to be their specimen…” Her eyes started to water and she blinked away what threatened to be tears. She had never thought of herself as a weak and helpless person, and she especially hated appearing to be so, but she had never imagined herself in this scenario either, in a position where she would be practically helpless and her whole future stripped from her. “I don’t know what I would do or where I would go... There’s nothing left, but I don’t want the rest of my life to be here... being... being…” She trailed off, too afraid to think of the possible experiments lined up for her and angrily felt her lips begin to tremble. She pulled her hand back and tried to hide her face, ashamed to show him her vulnerability. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I won’t let them.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She moved her hand and looked at him, surprised. “What?” she asked quietly. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I won’t let them keep you here. </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> will burn for what they’ve done; I won’t let them continue to try to play God.”</span>
  <span> His eyes flickered. For just a moment, those clear turquoise eyes flashed to a deep emerald green. His expression was frightening, and yet, he had more or less said he would help her. She breathed deeply and relaxed, placing her hand back on the side of the bed. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” she whispered quietly, and let her eyelids droop. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help more before.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
  <span> he asked, but he got no response: she had fallen back asleep with her head against the bed where he lay. He stared at her for a moment, soft golden curls framing her small face and pink lips. This little thing had wanted to save him. For whatever it was worth, he would save her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>With renewed will and strength, he sat up slowly and slid off the bed. There was still too much </span>
  <span>sedative active</span>
  <span> in his system for him to stand, but as she said, he knew he would feel much better when the effect finally faded. He pushed himself into the corner nearest to the door, where he would not been seen when someone finally entered. He reached over and pulled Maggie towards him, sliding her onto his right side where she too would be out of sight. To his surprise she turned and snuggled her face into his right shoulder, but rather than risk waking her, he decided to let her stay there. Now all he needed to do was wait.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth waited for what felt like hours. He had heard soldiers bring in some prisoners at some point, but silence had long fallen since then. At length, probably late in the night, he heard footsteps fall just outside their door. He shifted Maggie off his shoulder and now finding that he had the strength, quietly stood against the wall closest to the door.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>A soldier in red opened the door, walked inside, and immediately looked alarmed to not see anyone. Then he turned to his left and found himself facing a large, menacing, silver-haired man. Sensing the immediate need for back up, he ran out the door, fumbling for his radio— he only made it to the end of the corridor.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silently, Sephiroth followed after the soldier, waved his hand out in front of him, and a </span>
  <span>long </span>
  <span>six-foot</span>
  <span> blade</span>
  <span> appeared in his grip. With one long soundless stroke, the soldier was split nearly in two, and his body fell limply to the ground. Sephiroth turned around to head back to the cell for Maggie, but stopped just as he passed the second door on his right.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he stared at it, he felt his heart beat with something cold and dark. His eyes glazed over with a deep anger that time would never erode. </span>
  <span>It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
  
  <span>Sephiroth’s</span>
  <span> thoughts and judgment </span>
  <span>became clouded </span>
  <span>as he pressed his hand to the door.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie stirred from around the corner and stood up slowly. She noticed right away that the door was open and that Sephiroth was gone. Without hesitation, she slipped outside, shutting the door behind her. She made it out just in time to see Sephiroth stalking quickly around the corner. In her haste to catch up, she nearly tripped over the body at the end of the hall. Horrified, she stared at the </span>
  <span>disemboweled</span>
  <span> body.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shaking her head, </span>
  <span>she turned back around to see Sephiroth </span>
  <span>emerge from a room on the left and then turn the corner to the right. She followed him. Around the corner there was another body, and in front of her, she saw the angel of death. </span>
  <span>A </span>
  <span>wave of silver hair flowed through the air and a long blade glistened in a deadly arch. Another body fell limply to the ground without a single sound.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie hurried to approach him, her heart pounding, but trying to stay quiet. As she approached </span>
  <span>him, ready to call</span>
  <span> out his name, she recognized her surroundings and turned to see the large specimen container she had passed the other day with Jacob. She stopped in her tracks and stared at it. That same rhythmic heart beat from before called out to her own, pleading her to come near. Her body turned on its own and walked towards it. A piercing, high-pitched noise filled her mind to the point that everything in her sight changed to a bright white nothing.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>… In what felt like only moments later, Maggie found herself in an unfamiliar place. She was on a flight of stairs with a long purple carpet, but the carpet looked terribly stained. Looking around, she saw Sephiroth face down on the carpet next to her, his head pointed the opposite direction of hers towards the end of the stairs. Her head throbbed, and she blinked her eyes slowly and squeezed her lids together before opening them again and trying to focus. She reached out towards Sephiroth, who hadn’t moved yet, but froze before she could reach him… Her… hand… it was covered in something red and thick. She brought it back towards herself and realized that it was blood. Shaking, she looked over herself and saw that it wasn’t just her </span>
  <span>hand: her entire body was </span>
  <span>completely covered in blood… She also concluded quickly… it was not her own blood.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stared at her hands, shaking uncontrollably. “Se…Sephiroth…” she stuttered, breathing quick and short. “Sephiroth… are… are you alright?” Her eyes did not leave her hands. There was a low grumble from the man, and she heard him move. He sounded like he had a terrible hangover.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth sat up slowly and answered, </span>
  <span>“I’m alright, what about…”</span>
  <span> He stopped as he saw Maggie sitting there wide eyed, panicked, and covered in red. He looked around, confused. They were just outside the president’s office on the 70th floor. There was nothing around them other than the long trail of blood that led up the stairs and stopped where Maggie now sat. </span>
  <span>“What happened?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes snapped towards his. “I don’t know… I don’t… Where… where did it come from?” Her voice was trembling and her eyes started to glaze over like glass marbles. Sensing that she was growing unstable, Sephiroth reached over to her and grabbed one of her bloodied hands. She calmed at his touch and looked up at him, still shaken, but trusting in his grip. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll worry about it later,”</span>
  <span> he told her, </span>
  <span>“but we need to leave now.”</span>
  <span> He stood up and then helped her to her feet. They made their way down the stairs, Maggie slipping a couple times, but Sephiroth continued to hold her hand in order to help her keep balance. It was late in the night and there was no one around. Maggie remembered before she had blanked out that Sephiroth had… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Well, that might explain why no one was around.</span>
  </em>
  <span> When they passed through the lobby area below the President’s office, Sephiroth recognized an office to the left. </span>
  <span>“This way,”</span>
  <span> he said. </span>
  <span>“This is where the President keeps documents on on-going projects.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>A chance at answers, especially when no one else was around to see, seemed too good an opportunity to pass up. She followed him into the room. It was a good-sized office with a desk in the center and shelves in the left corner. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Digging through the papers, she could hardly make sense of anything. Words and terms that she had never been trained to understand flooded her vision. Nothing seemed to say her name or in any way give itself away as being related to her. Sephiroth rummaged as well; he had decided to look on the shelves since he assumed that any files on himself were probably older at this point, and while nothing seemed to be about him in particular, there was a report on top of a shelf that caught his attention. It was titled “Ancient Materia.” Flicking through the pages, the words “protection” and “destruction” caught his attention. He decided to roll it up and put it in his pocket. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turned to watch Maggie as she frantically searched through the desk, leaving bloody handprints. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What kind of person had </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Maggie been</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> before all of this?</span>
  </em>
  <span> He highly doubted that waking up covered in blood had been a part of her daily routine. He noted the blood drying in her hair and staining her face. They had the miraculous opportunity of walking out of here, but they were not going to get far with her looking like that, not to mention the blood on himself as well. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can’t waste any more time here,”</span>
  <span> he stated. </span>
  <span>“We need to move on.”</span>
  <span> She frowned and furrowed her eyebrows. Her search had turned up nothing for her, which was very unsatisfying, but she knew he was right. Grunting in frustration, she nodded and followed him out. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Exiting the office, they made their way through a lounge area and to the elevator. Sephiroth hit the button for the 64</span>
  <span>th</span>
  <span> floor. When the doors opened, he beckoned her to follow him rather than continuing down. He remembered this floor: it had the employee lounge and locker room, which included a shower.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie nervously followed him into the locker room, where he forcibly opened a few lockers and dug around to find Maggie a change of clothes. They weren’t quite her size, but at least they were for a female. He took them, led Maggie to the shower area, and laid the clothes down on one of the benches.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Clean yourself off,”</span>
  <span> he told her. </span>
  <span>“Quickly.”</span>
  <span> He paused for a moment and then added, </span>
  <span>“I’ll guard the door, don’t worry.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She nodded dumbly to him and then walked over to the shower and started the water; she turned to make sure his back was turned before she took off the heavy garments she had been wearing. It seemed strange to be stopping when they were making their escape, but after all that had happened, she knew this was needed. She hopped in, trying hard to quickly scrub away the blood and her overloaded emotions. There would be time to reflect on everything later; freaking out right now would not do anyone any good.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once she couldn’t see blood anymore, she let the water run over her head for just a moment, breathing in all that had happened recently. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Where would she go now? What would she do?</span>
  </em>
  <span> She wiped the water from her face and leaned back slightly to look at Sephiroth. He stood facing the door, ever vigilant. Never in all her years had she imagined that she would be here with this man right now.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shaking her head, she turned the water off and realized that there was no towel. She stammered for a moment and then pressed herself to the side of the open shower; she popped her head to the side, praying that Sephiroth wouldn’t see anything…</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Psst</span>
  <span>!!! Hey!” she called out to him. He turned and saw her soaked head popping out from the shower. He raised an eyebrow at her. “I… I need a towel…” she blushed.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait right there,”</span>
  <span> he told her, and Maggie, although she wasn’t sure, almost could have sworn she saw him smirk as he turned back around. A moment later he returned, placed a towel on the bench, and returned to his post.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t look!” she said before scampering out to grab the towel. She dried off and dressed as fast as she could. “Okay,” she said when she was done, “it’s safe now.”  Sephiroth turned and looked at her. The clothes were a little big, just a red shirt and some khaki pants, but it was much better than what she had on before. She looked up at with him innocent eyes and a childish face; in those oversized clothes she basically looked like a little kid. “Your turn,” she said, eyeing his blood-stained chest and face. He looked back out at the room and didn’t sense anything lurking. He nodded and headed for the shower, making sure to bring a towel with him. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he washed, Maggie decided to look around at the lockers. She paused when she realized one of them was labeled with Sephiroth’s name. He had been gone for years, but they had kept his locker? It wasn’t long before Sephiroth finished and joined her, </span>
  <span>carefully drying his hair</span>
  <span>. “Look,” she said to him, “do you think they kept your old stuff?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s find out,”</span>
  <span> he said, and with a flick of his hand opened it effortlessly. Maggie wasn’t sure if that was how he had always opened it in the past or if it was just that easy for him to break open the locker. </span>
  <span>Inside was the coat </span>
  <span>that he had worn (shown on all the posters during the war) and the gloves that matched them. He touched them as if they were an old friend. They may have been part of a </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> uniform, but they had been custom-made just for him. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should just take them,” she said when she saw him hesitate. “I imagine you don’t want to stay shirtless forever, and you already know it fits!” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He smirked at that, and grabbed the coat and gloves and put them on quickly. They did indeed still fit him perfectly. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The dashing general returns,” Maggie </span>
  <span>teased</span>
  <span>. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s enough,”</span>
  <span> he told her, smile slowly fading. </span>
  <span>“We need to go.”</span>
  <span> She nodded in agreement and they took off more speedily than before, knowing that even though chaos had struck the </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> building, it wouldn’t take forever for </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> to recover and come back to reclaim </span>
  <span>their headquarters</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They went down the stairs as far as they could and eventually found a service exit. In the dead of night, they were able to make their escape without any trouble. Everyone was either dead or distracted. As they started down the service stairs, Maggie looked over the side…</span>
  <span> The stairs seemed to go on forever</span>
  <span>, but going this route seemed the best way to not get noticed, if there even was anyone to notice them. But then she thought about the massive size and reach of the </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> corporation, and she realized, sadly, there would always be someone, somewhere to find them.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rest of the trip went by in silence, Maggie following behind Sephiroth, and much to her dismay, she was left to her worrisome thoughts, but at least... at least she wasn’t alone. She distracted herself as she had before by staring at Sephiroth, </span>
  <span>only from a different angle this time</span>
  <span>. Her eyes followed his long silver hair over his broad shoulders and long slender back. The more she was with him, the more she saw just what a work of art he was… but that was only the outside. Who was Sephiroth, really?</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He must have felt her staring because he turned back to look at her. She blushed and averted her eyes. He raised an eyebrow, but when she said nothing, turned his head back around and continued walking.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they finally reached the bottom of the stairwell, Sephiroth turned to Maggie and said, </span>
  <span>“We should probably get out of town; I don’t think staying here will do us any good.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you think it’s safe enough for me to go to my apartment and gather a few things first?” Maggie asked, accepting that </span>
  <span>Midgar</span>
  <span> was no longer </span>
  <span>safe</span>
  <span>. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a little risky, but s</span>
  <span>eems wise to gather supplies</span>
  <span>.”</span>
  <span> He nodded to her and added, </span>
  <span>“Lead on.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The first thing they saw after they exited and turned the corner was the lack of the plaza, the buildings, the everything that once was Sector Seven. They stopped and stared in amazement; Maggie brought her hands up, slowly covering her mouth in shock. Dust and smoke rose from the place where the massive plate had once stood. It took her a moment, but she put two and two together. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When we were in the basement... there was an enormous sound. When our tanks broke, it must have been because of this.” She looked down sadly and felt a huge weight on her heart. “We’re free... and this is why.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth placed on hand on her shoulder. </span>
  <span>“Don’t blame yourself for circumstance. What’s done is done.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie nodded grimly. “My apartment is in Sector One, this way...” She turned and walked in the opposite direction of what was once Sector Seven. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yet another thing to repress until later</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Try not to think about it.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Sector One plaza was also not in the best of conditions, but it was definitely still standing. There was still wreckage and debris from when the reactor had exploded. </span>
  <span>They walked past the theater that was showing the famous ‘Loveless’ play. It was a local favorite, and they generally put the play on once a year. Sephiroth saw the banner and grimaced slightly. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie saw his expression and asked, “Not a fan?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth shrugged, </span>
  <span>“One of my old colleagues was a big fan. He used to quote it incessantly. Apparently, five years is still too soon.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you ever see it?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No need, with him quoting it all the time.”</span>
  
  <em>
    <span>Not that I would have gone anyway...</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shame; I’ve heard it’s quite the masterpiece, but then I’ve never seen it either.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They looked at theater, parts of it blackened and broken. “And I probably never will,” Maggie added. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Continuing on, they traveled along a few streets until Maggie turned right and then left. “Here we go,” she said. “Not too close, but not too far from work.” It was a small, quaint, apartment building. Sephiroth didn’t see anyone around, so he assumed it was safe. He guessed that, as far as </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> knew, there was no reason to keep an eye on this place. Maggie went up to the gate and typed in a security code before swinging it open and beckoning Sephiroth to follow. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They climbed a set of stairs which led to a small platform with a couple doors. Next to her door was a small lock box. She punched a couple numbers into that as well, and then opened it and pulled out a key. “Always was forgetting my keys,” she commented. “Glad for it now more than ever.” She opened the door and they went inside. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a tiny apartment with only modest furnishings. Everything was neat and tidy. The few pieces of artwork she had were mostly made up of geometric shapes and clean lines. “I’ll just be a minute,” Maggie said, trying to work quickly. “Have a seat while you wait.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth sat on her couch and looked around while keeping alert. On the side table next to the couch, there was a picture of Maggie and an older gentleman with a gray trimmed goatee and a head of dark hair lined with silver. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Her father, perhaps?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Despite looking fragile and peaked, his smile was warm and genuine. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t take long for Maggie to return with a small backpack in hand. She headed for the kitchen, and packed what non-perishable food she had. “There,” she said when finished, “at least we aren’t completely empty-handed.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not wanting to stay any longer than was necessary, they nodded at each other and then left the building, heading for the nearest train station that could lead them out of the city. Among the things that Maggie had grabbed was her spare security ID she kept at home. Yes, she would be leaving a trail of where she had been, but she hoped they would be long gone before that information would matter to anyone. It was risky, but safer than getting stopped on the train. She hoped her guest pass would cover Sephiroth. Hopefully, at this hour, there wouldn’t be many people to notice them. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They reached the train station just as a train was getting ready to depart. They got on with nary a glance from the guard who, apparently, was tired at the end of his shift. Maggie went over to the check in and swiped her ID card. It blipped green and she sighed in relief. On the screen she tapped the “plus one” button and was again relieved when no sirens went off. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sitting down, Maggie refrained from making conversation. She was afraid of drawing too much attention. Sephiroth sat down next to her and merely commented quietly, </span>
  <span>“Smoother than expected.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie nodded and then they continued the ride in silence. She avoided looking out the window, afraid to see what remained of Sector Seven as they spiraled down the center column of the city towards the bottom. As they got closer to their destination, she whispered to Sephiroth, “I’ve never been to the slums.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Won’t be an issue,”</span>
  <span> he said, guessing her concern. </span>
  <span>“We’ll be out before anyone has time to notice us.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unlike the hours spent waiting in the basement in </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> headquarters, it seemed like no time at all that they were able to exit the train and make it to the edge of the city. Fortunately, Sephiroth seemed to know the way and was good at avoiding people. Even though, in all fairness, there were few people out to avoid.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they were a little way from the city, they both turned and stared </span>
  <span>at the majesty of it</span>
  <span>, lights flickering and flashing, industry and lives seemingly uninterrupted. Maggie felt a slight sting in her heart. Her simple life, all that she had worked for, was gone in a flash. Her face must have betrayed her feelings, because Sephiroth finally broke the silence and spoke.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can still go back if you want to,”</span>
  <span> he said almost sarcastically. Maggie shuddered and shook her head. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, everything I had there is dead... Besides, I know I wouldn’t last a day without them finding me.” He nodded his agreement and then they both walked out into the darkness, determined to get as much distance between them and the city as possible before stopping for the night.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Maggie stared</span>
  
  <span>into the distance; it was still dark, so she could make out the lights of the small village named Kalm. It was really only a stone’s throw from </span>
  <span>Midgar</span>
  <span>, but so different by comparison. There was almost nothing metropolitan about it other than the </span>
  <span>mako</span>
  <span> depository. It was all a bunch of cute, blue-roofed houses with wooden shutters. She couldn’t see that amount of detail from where she sat, but she had seen pictures of it before on her computer.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She thought back to her home; she really only recently had finished getting everything set up. Thinking of such a thing, she couldn’t help but laugh slightly out loud. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She heard the sound of dirt crunching as footsteps approached her from behind. A deep and melodious voice called out to her, </span>
  <span>“Couldn’t sleep?”</span>
  <span> She turned and saw the tall man with silver hair. His shoulders were bare since he had been kind enough to lend her</span>
  <span> his coat.</span>
  <span> She shook her head with weary eyes. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How can I?” she asked, both physically and emotionally drained. “I just… Now that we’re out… I don’t feel like I can rest until I decide what to do next.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth sat beside her and stared out at the lights as well. </span>
  <span>“Any ideas?”</span>
  <span> he asked, seemingly amused by her inner struggle. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She sighed, “Well, Kalm is out, it’s just too close... Honestly, I can’t think of anywhere on this continent, or perhaps on this world, where I can go and Shinra won’t be there waiting.” </span>
  <span>She looked at him, secretly wishing for some answer that had any hope in it, and asked, </span>
  <span>“What about you, what do you plan to do? Got a place to hide where you can live in peace?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth laughed at this. </span>
  <span>“Live life in peace?”</span>
  <span> he said, staring ahead with a cold grimace. </span>
  <span>“I don’t think that’s possible... for now, anyway.”</span>
  <span> Maggie's eyes dropped to the ground.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So then,” she cocked her head to the side, “what will you do?” </span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Make </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> disappear.”</span>
  
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stood there </span>
  <span>with a ruthlessly determined expression </span>
  <span>and she looked at him skeptically. “Can such a thing be done?” she asked. “I mean, if anyone could, I imagine it would be you, but </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> is everywhere.... You’d be fighting for the rest of your life.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not necessarily,”</span>
  <span> he said, </span>
  <span>remembering the report stashed in his pocket</span>
  <span>. </span>
  <span>“There might be a way to get them all in one strike.</span>
  <span>” Without giving more detail, he hurried on. </span>
  <span>“What I need now though is distance; the other continent, but that means passing through </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span>.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right through </span>
  <span>Shinra’s</span>
  <span> second </span>
  <span>homebase</span>
  <span>…” Maggie frowned in disgust at herself. She was woefully unprepared to live like this. She was sure that they would catch her again in no time. Sephiroth had some kind of plan more or less, but she had nothing. No plan, no home, and no survival skills. She was glad Sephiroth was not looking at her as she felt hopelessness overwhelm her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth turned</span>
  
  <span>when he heard her sniffle. He could see her face was an ugly mess even through the hair </span>
  <span>partially concealing it</span>
  <span>. Noticing his gaze, she shifted away, trying to hide her tears from him. She hated crying in front of people, especially strong, handsome men that she didn’t want to look weak in front of. He sat down beside her in silence, unsure of what to do, so he just let her silently sob for a moment. He could hear her trying to stifle it, but failing miserably</span>
  <span>. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So... You were an office manager before this?”</span>
  <span> he finally asked her. She wiped her eyes and sniffed hard.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y... Yes,” she answered, “at a mako reactor.” She laughed. “I finally had fully paid benefits and enough PTO to go on vacation.” She shook her head. “I thought I might be able to meet someone, get married, have a family again…” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The concept seemed to foreign to him; her life had been so normal. A life that he had never known. He paused, soaking in her words, and then asked, </span>
  <span>“Again?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t remember my mother; she died during labor... and my father became sick in my early twenties.” Sephiroth recalled the picture of her with the sickly-looking man he had seen in her apartment. Maggie continued, “I spent a lot of time caring for him, but he passed a few years ago. Ironically, I had just started to get out more... trying to make friends, moving up in the world... but none of that matters now... I don’t think I can trust anyone I worked with and I didn’t really have friends outside the workplace. My father didn’t have any other family that I was aware of and he never spoke about my mom... so, there really is nothing for me. Anywhere.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had calmed slightly and tears were no longer actively pouring down her face. She took a deep breath and smiled. “Feels terrible to say it!” she exclaimed. Looking at him, she added, “But good to get it out.”  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He locked her gaze with his and she stared</span>
  <span> into </span>
  <span>turquoise</span>
  <span> eyes. H</span>
  <span>is gaze was intense and her tears dried at the sight of it. Her bottom lip trembled, but she found peace in those eyes— she didn’t really know why. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come with me,”</span>
  <span> he found himself saying, and compulsively reached out and touched her face. </span>
  <span>The touch of his hand was firm, but the skin was soft and smooth. She raised her hand up to his and held it. She closed her eyes and soaked in the compassion and strength which it contained.</span>
  <span> Maybe it was presumptuous of her, but she couldn’t help but think... that maybe there was still </span>
  <span>something good in</span>
  <span> her life… maybe there was Sephiroth. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I... don’t think I’ll be of any help to you,” she said realistically. “I’ll just get in your way.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That doesn’t matter,”</span>
  <span> he told her. </span>
  <span>She was to be pitied, given all that she had lost without even a glimmer of knowledge as to why. </span>
  <span>He couldn’t stay and figure things out with her, but he could at least keep her with him until she figured something out... and besides... she...</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” she said quietly to him. He felt her delicate skin against his firm hand and couldn’t help but marvel at how soft it was. Her golden waves flowed against the back of his hand as she leaned into it, soft and inviting, but before he could explore the sensation further, she broke away laughing and blushing. “I’m… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean— but thank you; I think I might be able to sleep now.” She looked back at him and added softly, “Everything is still so overwhelming, but I’m sure it’ll be better in the morning…” He nodded to her </span>
  <span>and then she added, “Thanks again for your coat,” before</span>
  <span> lying on the ground and rolling up one of the sleeves to make a rudimentary pillow. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth stared at her as she went to sleep. She had been innocent before all this, in a way that he had never been. Her features were soft and sad as she struggled to find dreams and avoid the nightmares. Someone with such a different life, and yet he related to her. He had not known his mother either, and </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> had </span>
  <span>controlled</span>
  <span> his life from a young age... He thought back to when he was going to leave </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span>... </span>
  <em>
    <span>Would I have wanted a normal life like her</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Just as she had said though... it didn’t matter now.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t know when she had moved, or if someone had moved her, but when she awoke, she was firmly in the grasp of the great G</span>
  <span>eneral</span>
  <span> Sephiroth. Her hand was against his firm bare chest, and her cheek pressed just above his heart.  It beat low and steady. His arm was wrapped around her waist, cradling her as if she were something precious. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie gulped and looked around nervously, trying not to move while deciding what to do. She tried to look up at him without moving her head, but couldn’t see his face and just had to assume that he was still asleep. </span>
  <span>Maybe she could slip out without him noticing…</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gingerly, she took his hand and tried to lift it off of herself, but found that his grip only tightened. Seeing that there was not an easy way out of this, she tried calling out to him softly. He moaned in response and pulled her closer, rolling to his side so that </span>
  <span>the fronts </span>
  <span>of their bodies</span>
  <span> were pressed firmly together</span>
  <span>. His other arm wrapped around her and her hopes of escape dwindled. Heat rushed to her face and she hardly knew what to do. “Sephiroth,” she called, desperately trying to ignore each poignant point of contact between the two of them. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sephiroth!” she stated more firmly. With that, his eyes fluttered open and he looked down at pleading eyes and a flushed face. Dark eyes called to him... to something he had never experienced before. Then he </span>
  <span>became aware</span>
  <span>, his own eyes widening </span>
  <span>slightly as he realized</span>
  <span> the </span>
  <span>position</span>
  <span> they were in.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>His hands released her, and he held them up and away as if he had just touched something hot. Maggie, as she moved away, thought she saw a very light shade of pink cross his face as well. She coughed to clear her throat and said softly, “I suppose one of us moves in our sleep…” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth sat up and covered his face with his hand; he had never been a deep sleeper, so </span>
  <span>he wouldn’t </span>
  <span>have, would</span>
  <span> he?</span>
  <span> He looked at her from the corner of his eye, studied her features, and </span>
  <span>felt his heart burn with an emotion</span>
  <span> that he had never known. Luckily, she changed the subject.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So… for better or worse,” she started slowly, “I want to </span>
  <span>find out what it was that </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> wanted with me</span>
  <span>... us. Seeing as you are out to stop </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span>, my odds of finding out something are probably much better with you than anyone else. So... I will go with you.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked at him with a determined expression. Nothing like the wreck she had been the night before. He had almost forgotten that he told her to come with him. The feelings it now stirred in him were a mixture of irritation and relief, but keeping her safe was something he could do, at least for now. More or less, without her, he would still be in the basement at </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> headquarters. He owed it to her to guard her... at least for a time. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll do what I can to not be a burden. I’ll stay out of the way if there is a fight.” She flushed and trembled noticeably. “I don’t know how long we’ll be together, but I could learn how to use a gun or something— that way, I can learn to defend myself.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stood up and walked over to her, towering over her small frame. He reached out and grabbed one of her shaking wrists and stilled it. His eyes met her determined gaze. </span>
  <span>“Are you afraid?”</span>
  <span> he asked her. Maggie’s breath caught and she blushed out of embarrassment— she had never felt so vulnerable or weak in her entire life. </span>
  <span>Her face flushed more as she observed s</span>
  <span>ilver hair cascading down over his broad bare shoulders and framing his angular features. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shaking her head, she looked into his eyes and tried to look brave, but could feel herself faltering. “A little,” she finally admitted, eyes determined, but lip quivering. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of what?”</span>
  <span> he asked her coolly, still holding her wrist just above her hand; it was no longer trembling in his grasp. Her brown eyes held flecks of gold that matched her hair in the glowing morning light. Pink lips and cheeks lit up her face, and he couldn’t help but think that she was… simple. Unassuming and bare, she held no secrets or darkness, and he couldn’t help but marvel at her simplicity. He both loathed and admired her for it. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She smiled and laughed </span>
  <span>ruefully</span>
  <span>, diverting her eyes. “Maybe I'm afraid of more things than I want to admit to, but… The world...? Myself...?” She thought back to </span>
  <span>the </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> headquarters, to the</span>
  <span> people that died, the monsters, and herself waking up covered in blood. Squeezing her eyes shut, she wasn’t sure she wanted to </span>
  <span>find out</span>
  <span>, but at the same time felt that she had to know. “Why did all this happen? What happened to us at the </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> headquarters? But even ... </span>
  <span>even all the monsters, death, and mystery... it’s not facing those things </span>
  <span>that scares me the most.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth stared at her for a moment and, when she did not continue, decided to release her wrist and used his hand to instead turn her face back towards him. He asked in a soft low rumble, </span>
  <span>“What scares you the most?”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes locked with his and she felt her face, if possible, grow even hotter. She didn’t like the way his gaze seemed to cut directly into her soul; she didn’t like appearing so fragile. Biting her lip, she held back tears that she knew were stupid. “I…” she stammered, “I just don’t want to be alone.” Saying it out loud made her feel ashamed and she wanted to look away from him. To her surprise, he laughed and pulled his hand away. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what you’re afraid of most?”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth could not remember a time when he had not been alone: even among comrades, he had always been set apart from them. He continued, </span>
  <span>“You’re not afraid of what </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> will do to you, or what the monsters of the world might do to you?”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie huffed angrily, immediately regretting admitting what she knew was a weakness. “Well, of course those things are scary, but being alone to face and endure all of those things is what makes them so scary…” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fair point,”</span>
  <span> he said, still finding her frustrated state amusing. </span>
  <span>She co</span>
  <span>uldn’t help but somehow feel like he saw her as a lost pet. </span>
  <span>“Don’t worry, I’ll keep you company for now.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wrangling down her emotions, she took a deep breath and told him softly, “Thank you. It’s silly, but you don’t know how much that means to me right now.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was quiet for a moment, not really sure how to respond. He was used to praise, but not heartfelt gratitude. Maggie, blushing yet again, moved past him and picked up his coat off the ground where she had left it sometime during the night. Turning around, she handed it to him. “Thank you for the coat as well,” she added and then blushed a shade deeper as she remembered how she had woken up that morning. “I imagine we should get moving, right?” She hoped to divert the attention away from </span>
  <span>her reddening face</span>
  <span>, which she knew must seem childish. Maggie had always thought of herself as a strong and independent woman, and yet here she was behaving like a flustered teenager. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was all the more embarrassing that he didn’t seem to react the same way at all. She thought about how he had no hesitation in standing near her, holding her hand, or staring directly into her eyes. </span>
  <span>Every other man she had </span>
  <span>remotely had an interest in or even </span>
  <span>an interaction with had either avoided her as being “too intimidating” or was the kind of man that liked to be bossed around. There was only one other man that she had, until recently, even considered a hopeful romantic interest and he had always joked around with her, but kept his distance for now painfully obvious reasons. </span>
  <span>For Sephiroth— for any man— to behave this way towards her… that was a first. </span>
  <span>Although, considering who this man was, there was probably very little that intimidated him, especially not herself.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth took </span>
  <span>his</span>
  <span> coat from her and threw it on, latching the belts that crossed his chest and securing silver </span>
  <span>pauldrons</span>
  <span> over each shoulder.  </span>
  <span>From the pockets</span>
  <span>, he pulled out his black gloves and donned those as well. Once finished, he turned to her and asked, </span>
  <span>“Shall we?”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie nodded and the two of them s</span>
  <span>tarted walking southwest towards </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span>. They didn’t make it very far before her stomach started to growl. Apparently, the small meal bar she had eaten was insufficient, but she didn’t want to burn through all her rations in one day. Frowning, she hoped Sephiroth couldn’t hear it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Where would they even find food out here?</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking around, the land was barren, as if the dark city of </span>
  <span>Midgar</span>
  <span> had literally sucked away the life. Everything was gray and rocky, there was no plant life, and, as far as she could tell, no animal life. She had only ever lived in </span>
  <span>Midgar</span>
  <span>, so most of what she knew of the outside world was from computers and books. She wondered if they would see more greenery like the parks back in the city</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her stomach growled again, louder, and she winced </span>
  <span>as she glanced up</span>
  <span> at Sephiroth. He looked so stoic and graceful. He didn’t look at her, so maybe he hadn’t heard? She didn’t want to bring it up; the last thing she wanted to be was a burden, especially after he had so graciously invited her to be his traveling companion. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They passed small plateaus and crossed between ravines mostly in silence. Just when Maggie was finally starting to </span>
  <span>feel awkward </span>
  <span>and decided to break it, there was a cackle of laughter from somewhere above and behind her. She turned to look and sure enough, there were a couple of men wearing yellow bandanas, and several wolf companions standing beside them. The men sneered down at her and Sephiroth.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What a couple of nice-looking ladies!” one of them remarked in a raspy voice. Maggie’s eyebrows snapped together in confusion and she looked at Sephiroth. She smiled a little as she realized that from behind, with his long flowing hair, it wasn’t all that unreasonable of a mistake. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth turned and shot them an icy glare, </span>
  <span>“I bet they have something you could eat,”</span>
  <span> he commented to Maggie. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> he did hear after all…, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she lamented. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The men leaned forward and stared at Sephiroth. “What was that? Speak up, lovely!” </span>
  <span>the men taunted and jeered</span>
  <span>. “I bet we could have a lovely time, the lot of us. Pretty little things... You’ll make us happy men, won’t you?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before any more could be said, Sephiroth waved his hand and the long blade that Maggie had seen him use the night before </span>
  <span>appeared in his grasp</span>
  <span>. The men only had time to reach for their weapons and the wolves only to growl before Sephiroth had moved, faster than Maggie could follow, and cut them down. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their bodies fell uselessly to the ground, and just as quickly as it had appeared, the long slender blade disappeared. Sephiroth dug through their pockets and was able to find some food rations. It didn’t look like more than some granola and jerky, but he supposed it would be better than nothing. Leaping down from the plateau, he landed gracefully in front of Maggie. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here you go,”</span>
  <span> he said emotionlessly as he handed her the food. Still e</span>
  <span>mbarrassed regarding her </span>
  <span>gurgling stomach</span>
  <span>, </span>
  <span>but grateful, she took the food from him. Before taking a bite, she offered the jerky back to him. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You must be hungry too,” she said.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not as much as you are— I can wait.”</span>
  <span> He smiled again as her stomach rumbled. </span>
  <span>“I’m made of tougher stuff</span>
  <span> than</span>
  <span> that.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie was skeptical, but hungry enough not to argue. She bit into the granola and sighed, thinking that food had never tasted so good before. Turning as she ate, they started walking again, the encounter hardly a hiccup in their journey. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth stared at Maggie in wonder. </span>
  <span>She hadn’t flinched, let alone expressed any shock at what had just happened.</span>
  <span> Two men and a small pack of animals were dead. </span>
  <span>Now, this meant nothing to him, but this little thing, who seemed so innocent and fragile, had watched and had hardly, if at all, reacted to it.</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That didn’t bother you?”</span>
  <span> he asked her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie turned to look at him and furrowed</span>
  <span> her eyebrows</span>
  <span>. “Did what bother me? You mean those men back there? I’d say they really didn’t get the chance to bother me,” she replied </span>
  <span>in a matter-of-fact tone</span>
  <span>. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth, in turn, knit his eyebrows together.</span>
  
  <span>“I mean the part where I killed them,”</span>
  <span> he clarified. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh...” She paused for a moment. It had happened so fast that she had hardly registered it, but after what she had seen and experienced the night before... “I can’t say I feel sorry for them... Not sure what that says about me, but who knows what they would have done had you not been with me. </span>
  <span>Maybe I should be more bothered by it?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t let that bother you,”</span>
  <span> he told her. </span>
  <span>“They’re not worth your pity.”</span>
  <span> He walked up to her and looked at her. </span>
  <span>“To clarify, does it bother you that I decided their fate without </span>
  <span>blinking?”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked</span>
  <span> at him with a confused expression. “Would it bothering me bother you?” When he frowned slightly, she studied his expression and then continued, hoping that she was reading him </span>
  <span>correctly</span>
  <span>. “Sephiroth, you are </span>
  <span>a soldier</span>
  <span>, so you are used to making decisions quickly. I’m traveling with you, so I’ll have to trust your judgement. I told you, I won’t get in the way when it comes to a fight, so that means I won’t question you. I’m simply in no position to.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth had </span>
  <span>never been in this type of situation</span>
  <span>... and didn’t know how to respond. Seeing his flabbergasted state, Maggie added, “Besides, I don’t think you’re the type who kills for the fun of it: everything you did was quick and clean. You didn’t draw it out or torture them.” A thought passed through her mind and she laughed, knowingly making light of the </span>
  <span>situation. </span>
  <em>
    <span>But dark situations are part of our lives now, are they not?</span>
  </em>
  <span> “You were nothing if not efficient and, as an office manager, that is one of my favorite qualities.” She smirked bittersweetly. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead of waiting for a response, she walked past him and continued down the trail they were on. “Come on, like you said, they’re not worth our pity— let’s keep going.” His eyes followed her, his heart and head confused.... A new feeling was washing over him and yet he didn’t understand it</span>
  <span>. Did what she thought about him matter to him? Did knowing that she trusted him and wasn’t bothered comfort him? </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he watched her walk ahead of him, he smiled briefly. He didn’t understand this feeling, </span>
  <span>but</span>
  <span> it wasn’t unpleasant. </span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>In less time than Maggie expected, the dry, barren wasteland gave way to soft and damp green grass. She had been to parks in </span>
  <span>Midgar</span>
  <span>, but seeing nature look so natural seemed… unnatural to her. Every now and then, she would see soft batches of little yellow flowers and couldn’t help but smile. They were lovely, and she envied the simplicity of their existence.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The local monsters also changed in variety, though none of them had presented much of a challenge. Wolves and thieves were exchanged for large birds, strange burrowing mammals, and even some plant-like creatures that ran around on their root-like feet. Sephiroth dispensed of them all quickly. Maggie did her best to stay out of the way and watched with fascination each time. </span>
  <span>She considered it a rare opportunity to be able to encounter new monsters without worrying about them killing her.</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>After walking for some time without any incidents, Maggie found herself getting bored. In search of amusement, she reached over to poke Sephiroth in the back, but before she could make contact, a strong hand shot out and snatched hers. Sephiroth turned to look at her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not going to be any fun, are you?” Maggie said, staring at her hand. Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why would you say that?”</span>
  <span> Though, being fun was clearly not of any concern to him.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>I’ll </span>
  <span>never be able to surprise you, will I?” Maggie frowned with slight disappointment.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t worry yourself with that,”</span>
  <span> he replied with a complex expression. He wouldn’t admit it to her, but she had already surprised him several times.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>After realizing that he was still holding her hand, he gently let go of it. Maggie noticed once more that contact with her seemed to elicit absolutely no rise out of him. She found it annoying that it made her heart race. As he turned and kept walking, she studied his back. Thinking of how long she had studied those features while stuck in the lab, she admitted to herself that she was attracted to him… </span>
  <span>and that was frustrating.</span>
  <span> Even so, it was strange— especially considering the situation they were in— that she instantly wanted to be close to him. Not to mention... how good it felt when she was physically close to him. She felt heat rush to her face as she remembered the incident from this morning. She had never felt this way about anyone. She hardly knew him, and yet…</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The more she mulled over it, it just didn’t seem like the time or place— it felt stupid to even be considering it. She wasn’t even sure</span>
  
  <span>what the future held for her</span>
  <span> at this time. She shook her head and hoped her </span>
  <span>hormones</span>
  <span> would shut up. Looking at him again though, she had a hunch that this feeling would only get stronger the more she was with him. If she wanted to avoid these feelings, she would have to avoid him, and for many reasons, that was the last thing she wanted to do at this time. So, no point in denying that she was attracted to him. She just needed to keep said feelings in check. Maggie sighed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You can do this. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth paused for a moment as a small building appeared on the horizon. Maggie would have walked right into him if he had not turned and caught her by the shoulders. She would have accused him of being jumpy if the movement had not been so calm and fluid. Either way, she suspected he might actually be touchy about his personal space. He raised an eyebrow at her and she </span>
  <span>laughed a little with </span>
  <span>embarrassment</span>
  <span>. “Sorry, I was lost in thought,” she told him honestly, hoping that he would not ask what about. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He skeptically raised his eyebrow, and looked into the distance. </span>
  <span>“Do you know anything about this area?”</span>
  <span> he asked her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shook her head. The only </span>
  <span>place she had planned on visiting</span>
  <span> outside of </span>
  <span>Midgar</span>
  <span> was Costa del Sol, and she hadn’t planned on walking there. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think that’s a </span>
  <span>chocobo</span>
  <span> ranch— and over there,”</span>
  
  <span>he pointed west towards a wet-looking area lined by mountains</span>
  <span>, </span>
  <span>“are the </span>
  <span>Zolom</span>
  <span> Marshlands. The slightest of footsteps into the marsh, and a </span>
  <span>zolom</span>
  <span> would come right to you.”</span>
  <span> When she didn’t appear to show any alarm, he added, </span>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Zoloms</span>
  <span> are very fast snakes. Nearly 100 feet long and can stand over 30 feet tall.”</span>
  <span> Maggie did frown at this. She supposed that something like that would be difficult to deal with even for Sephiroth.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can we avoid it?” she asked. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth shook his head. </span>
  <span>“Not if we want to go to </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span>.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do we do then?’ she asked, supposing that he had a plan of some sort. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth sighed. A </span>
  <span>zolom</span>
  <span> wouldn’t be an issue for him, </span>
  <span>but it was a more difficult matter since Maggie was with him. It</span>
  <span> was probably best to avoid a fight, but it made him frown to think of the solution… </span>
  <em>
    <span>There is only one creature that can outrun a </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>zolom</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We catch a </span>
  <span>chocobo</span>
  <span>,”</span>
  <span> he said sullenly. </span>
  <span>“They can outrun the </span>
  <span>zoloms</span>
  <span>.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seeing his expression, Maggie had to ask: “That’s a good thing, right?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He caught her eyes and frowned. </span>
  <span>“I’m not much of a fan of </span>
  <span>chocobos</span>
  <span>,”</span>
  <span> he said </span>
  <span>with loathing</span>
  <span>. Maggie looked up at him with curiosity. She had thought his expressions to be an unbreakable mask, but now they looked slightly unstable. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t like </span>
  <span>chocobos</span>
  <span>?” she asked playfully. She thought of the giant yellow birds with bright blue eyes. She had always thought they looked cute, though she had never seen one in person. “What don’t you like about them?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just find that we don’t generally get along,”</span>
  <span> he said with obvious discomfort. He was not quite sure how to interpret Maggie’s tone and expression. She seemed like she was trying to be serious, but at the same time, not serious? </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can we get one from the ranch?” she asked, wondering if that might be easier. However, thinking twice, she continued, “Maybe not... A low profile might be best at the moment... Can I do it? I might have better luck... Can you tell me how do you do it?” She looked at </span>
  <span>him inquisitively, but with confidence</span>
  <span>.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth frowned slightly. </span>
  <span>“Well, you have to track one, take out any surrounding monsters, and then </span>
  <span>grab</span>
  <span> it before it gets scared and runs away.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie pursed her lips and then smiled broadly. “Well alright then, that sounds easy enough! I mean, with you killing the monsters, I should be able to get the bird!” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silver eyebrows drew together in what could have been worry or, perhaps, exasperation. He shook his head. </span>
  <span>“No, it will be fine,”</span>
  <span> he assured her. </span>
  <span>“I’ll take care of it.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Maggie could argue her usefulness, he turned away from her and started walking. She frowned and followed, thinking that she definitely didn’t</span>
  <span> enjoy</span>
  <span> feeling like a burden. If she could help, she </span>
  <span>wanted to be allowed to</span>
  <span>. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They walked for a short while, and then, with some luck, were able to find some tracks from a </span>
  <span>chocobo</span>
  <span>. Maggie dutifully noted the shape of the feet looked like the letter Y, with talons marks at each end. She was a little excited to see an animal in person that wouldn’t be trying to attack them… hopefully. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>After following the tracks, they found a </span>
  <span>chocobo</span>
  <span> surrounded by a group of monsters. The bird didn’t seem to be in any distress; it was just simply grazing in the field alongside the monsters. Sephiroth put a hand out behind him to stop Maggie from following, and walked forward slowly with his hand outstretched and waiting. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie stared at him </span>
  <span>questioningly</span>
  <span>, but dared not move. She watched as he edged closer and closer until he was less than twenty feet away. The </span>
  <span>chocobo</span>
  <span> looked up and saw him. It remained frozen, eyeing Sephiroth warily. Its big, blue eyes blinked curiously as the man stood there, equally as still. Then, faster than Maggie’s eyes could follow, the long slender blade appeared in hand and he struck down the monsters that circled it. She had hardly seen him move. The </span>
  <span>chocobo</span>
  <span> also seem surprised. It backed up nervously, but within its first step, Sephiroth (sword now out of sight) had his arm around its neck and was swinging on top of it. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as Sephiroth had firmly placed himself on the chocobo, it went out of control. It lunged forward, running as fast as it could. Trying to free itself of the human, it jumped and kicked wildly. This is why Sephiroth preferred to go by foot. He needed to calm the bird down, but he never was good at this kind of thing, so instead he tried to just stay on.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Watching as the man struggled, Maggie smiled in spite of herself. He really did look funny. She frowned as it began to look like Sephiroth wouldn’t be able to calm the </span>
  <span>chocobo</span>
  <span> down at all. </span>
  <span>She saw him gritting his teeth angrily and mostly just struggling to stay on. He almost looked, much to her amusement, helpless.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Determining her course of action, she began to walk calmly towards the </span>
  <span>chocobo</span>
  <span>. Even though she knew it was dangerous, she felt confident... mostly. Sephiroth noticed that she was coming and tried to tell her to back off, but she ignored his pleas. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It's just like in the office,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she told herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If you want an employee to calm down, you must be calm. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>What is she thinking? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sephiroth wondered as she moved closer and closer towards the wild bird. The man tried his best to calm the bird so that Maggie wouldn’t get trampled— without luck of course. He gritted his teeth. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why is she being so stupid?</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As the woman neared the bird, she placed her hand out in front of her. She was careful not to make any sudden moves that might scare the bird further as she gradually moved </span>
  <span>closer</span>
  <span>. The </span>
  <span>chocobo</span>
  <span> noticed her and slowed its movements. It was still a little edgy, but seemed curious about her. Sensing its nervousness, Maggie stopped moving forward and just waited patiently. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a moment, the </span>
  <span>chocobo</span>
  <span> moved towards her, apparently forgetting that Sephiroth was there. It studied Maggie’s hand for a moment, and then nuzzled its beak against it. It let out a soft ‘</span>
  <span>kwee</span>
  <span>' and then gently began to pick at her golden hair. She giggled and lifted her hand slowly to pet it. Sephiroth was dumbfounded. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The </span>
  <span>chocobo</span>
  <span> let out a small </span>
  <span>‘</span>
  <span>wark</span>
  <span>’</span>
  <span> in gratitude towards the woman. Maggie leaned in closer to the bird as she petted it gently. The bird was now completely relaxed, so Maggie asked the bird quietly, “Do you mind giving us a lift? We have somewhere we need to go, preferably fast.” Whether the bird actually understood anything, she didn’t know, but at the very least, it did seem to like her. Feeling satisfied, she walked to the side and held out a hand to Sephiroth. He took her hand and helped swing her up on to the large bird’s back. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How did you—?”</span>
  <span> he began, but Maggie interrupted him </span>
  <span>softly.</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A gentle touch can go a long way.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that so?”</span>
  <span> he asked, </span>
  <span>still frustrated that what she had done had worked</span>
  <span>. He kicked his heels into the haunches of the bird and it darted forward. Maggie placed her hands unwittingly on Sephiroth’s waist for balance. She quickly took them away, but heard Sephiroth call back to her, </span>
  <span>“It’s alright to hang on.”</span>
  <span> His voice was somber and deep.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gingerly, she placed her hands back on his waist. Even through his thick leather coat, she could feel </span>
  <span>the toned muscles that she had spent hours admiring</span>
  <span>. Feeling awkward with just her hands pressed to his sides, she went ahead and wrapped her arms around his waist. She was glad that he couldn’t see her face, because she was sure she was blushing like a young school girl. To her surprise, she thought she felt him sigh and almost relax within her grasp... which did nothing to calm her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Feeling her delicate arms around him, he couldn’t understand the feeling that came over him… like she belonged… like he belonged. </span>
  <span>In all his years of loneliness and separation, how could this one little woman give him something that he had, without ever realizing it, craved his entire life, but had never once even remotely encountered before? </span>
  <span>He thought back to their meeting… </span>
  <em>
    <span>What had she been doing there in the first place? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Why had she been there when he woke up?</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maggie,”</span>
  <span> he called out to her calmly, </span>
  <span>“how did you get captured by </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span>?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman sat silent for a moment before speaking. “It was all rather odd. I was working a late night at the reactor when it was attacked by terrorists.” She paused, reflecting on the events of that night.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What happened?”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, they planted a bomb, and then Jacob, the head of office security, locked me in the building... and then it blew up.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
  <span> he asked, tensing slightly. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jacob said that Professor </span>
  <span>Hojo</span>
  <span> wanted to try an experiment. I don’t know if it had anything to do with the terrorists…” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth furrowed his eyebrows together, trying to make sense of it. When she did not continue, he commented, </span>
  <span>“And, clearly, you survived.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I did, though how is still a mystery to me. Some soldiers found me and then I passed out. I fainted because I had been injured... The next thing I knew, I woke up in the </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> building... with you in front of me.” They rode on in silence for a moment before Maggie added, “That probably just gives you more questions than answers.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The marshlands around them began to thicken as they approached a mildewed atmosphere. There was no longer the light squishing sound of the </span>
  <span>chocobo’s</span>
  <span> feet on damp ground, just the sound of water sloshing underneath. A fog set in around them, making the path in front of them uncertain. The marshlands were quiet; there wasn’t even the light buzzing of insects around them. It seemed they were the only ones here, but she knew better.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about you?” Maggie asked him, adjusting herself forward and closer to him so she could hear his answer. “I know you were the great general of the </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> army— I still remember all the posters during the Wutai War— but who are you really?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was born into a life with </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> by my mother Jenova, who died after giving birth. Being in the army and training is the only life I have ever known. I was born for that purpose, but it was never my choice.”</span>
  <span> Maggie didn’t know if she should feel pity or not. </span>
  <span>“My mother was special; she was an Ancient. They said that through her, I gained my abilities.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like the thing with your sword?” Maggie asked. She had been wondering how he was able to make it appear and disappear on command. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, like that.”</span>
  <span> He scoffed, </span>
  <span>“’The ancients will lead us to the promised land’: that’s what the scientists would always say. I’m sure they just interpret that as another resource that they can monopolize and exploit.”</span>
  <span> He grew silent for a moment and Maggie listened intently. </span>
  <span>“Just one more reason I wanted to be done with them.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silence settled back in, both of them feeling the weight of it on their shoulders. Maggie rested her head between his shoulder blades and gently hugged his waist. His silver hair felt soft and silky against her face. Sephiroth, although he had never asked or wanted for another’s touch, welcomed the embrace. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As if to complement the mood, dark clouds overhead started to pour rain down around them. I</span>
  <span>t wasn’t long before she was soaked. Golden curls stuck to her face along with long silver strands. She had to pull her face away in order to clear hair away from her mouth. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth couldn’t see the path ahead of them, but the </span>
  <span>chocobo</span>
  <span> seemed to know where it was going. At least, he could still make out the looming shadow of the mountains ahead. Overhead, he could hear rain giving way to thunderous rumblings. Maggie must have noticed as well, because he could feel her shift uncomfortably. Getting caught in a storm seemed like a poor idea for many reasons, so he gave the </span>
  <span>chocobo</span>
  <span> a slight kick on the sides and the bird increased its speed. Marsh and mire sailed past them as the rain fell. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What will we do when we get to </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span>?” </span>
  <span>Maggie asked, finally breaking their silence.</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Find a way to get on a boat and cross over to Costa del Sol,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth stated</span>
  <span>.</span>
  <span> Maggie couldn’t help but laugh.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe I will get to go on my vacation after all!” Feeling Sephiroth twitch, she explained, “I was just about to leave for my first vacation before the explosion.” She laughed some more. “It almost feels ironic now…” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Sephiroth could comment further, there was a sudden flash and roar across the sky. </span>
  <span>The </span>
  <span>chocobo</span>
  <span> jerked in alarm, and threw them both to the ground.</span>
  <span> Maggie was thrown a few feet away from him and lay still. </span>
  <span>S</span>
  <span>ephiroth propped himself up on his forearm</span>
  <span>s</span>
  <span>, </span>
  <span>already knowing that there was no time to get away.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>An enormous looming shadow lashed out at them with great fangs bared. Quickly, the man rolled, grabbing Maggie and getting out of the way, letting the </span>
  <span>zolom</span>
  
  <span>surge</span>
  <span> swiftly by them. The </span>
  <span>zolom</span>
  <span> brandished its giant body into a fierce striking pose. Sephiroth rose to his feet, leaving Maggie in the wet marshland below. She hadn’t moved, which worried him, but for the time being, he just had to hope that she was alright. The snake lurched</span>
  
  <span>down speedily towards the man, only to be rewarded with a blade across its belly. Circling back around, the snake stared at its prey, trying to size it up a little better this time before striking. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a flash of </span>
  <span>lightning which revealed, to Sephiroth's relief, that they were</span>
  
  <span>not too far from the mountains and the cave which led through them. Unknown to him, Maggie stirred slightly, feeling a massive pain in her head. Managing to look up just as the lightning flashed, she found Sephiroth’s face and saw him staring up at something with sword brandished and malice shining through glowing emerald eyes.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was an odd silence as the rain fell around the man in black. The thunder itself seemed to cease. The man’s eyes showed neither fear nor anger; those crisp emerald eyes exposed only cold hatred and pleasure. She tried to focus, but found her vision blurring as </span>
  <span>liquid</span>
  <span> ran over her face. Pain still wracking her senses, her eyes fluttered and she blacked out, falling back into the mire.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Sephiroth stared at the monstrous serpent, he felt his heartbeat slow until he was perfectly calm and collected. The initial surprise had passed and he could think more clearly. He held his sword </span>
  <span>up horizontally, guarding his face; </span>
  <span>not really questioning </span>
  <em>
    <span>if</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but rather, </span>
  <em>
    <span>how</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His mind played through the possibilities as he surveyed his surroundings. </span>
  <span>How long had it really been since he encountered a worthy foe?</span>
  <span> He remembered the feeling of clear superiority, but a step even beyond that now, he relished what to him felt like god-like power. It was exhilarating, and this creature would fall just as easily as any other. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The </span>
  <span>zolom</span>
  <span> surged forward at him, obviously deciding that it was tired of waiting. Sephiroth turned and stepped to the side, gracefully avoiding the attack, but not without rewarding the snake with another long cut down its side. He thought of Maggie face-down in the marsh and knew he needed to end this quickly. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spotting the needed instrument in the distance, Sephiroth dashed towards it. The snake, thinking that it somehow now had the upper hand, raced after him. Just as the </span>
  <span>zolom</span>
  <span> dove in an attempt to devour him, Sephiroth leapt high into the air, defying the natural laws of gravity. He landed on the top of a tall dead looking tree, just outside of the cave leading into the mountain, where he could properly look down on the inferior being. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jerking and writhing after hitting the ground, the </span>
  <span>zolom</span>
  <span> regained its composure, and without hesitation launched itself at the morsel adorning the tree. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Yes… come right to me</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Sephiroth beckoned it mentally. Before it could make contact, he elegantly jumped up, turning over backwards as he did. It didn’t take much time at all with the serpent's head right above the point of the tree, just one swift hard blow, and the crest of the head was quickly impaled. The </span>
  <span>zolom</span>
  <span> twitched for a moment and then fell limp. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth descended slowly and landed on the ground noiselessly. He searched for Maggie, hoping, more than he would admit to, that she was alright. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He found her completely soaked and motionless not too far from more firm land. Gently, he turned her over and lifted her up. The man held in a sigh of relief when he heard her still breathing. Moving damp hair from her face, he realized that it was not just water that made the strands stick to her face. Blood flowed from a wound in her head over the left side of her face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She must have hit something when she fell from the </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>chocobo</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>..</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Holding her in his arms, he turned to look for the cave. It would be easier to treat her in a dry place.   </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sound of rain filled Maggie’s ears. The hairs on her arms prickled at the cold air around her. The color of the world slowly began to come into view. Around shimmering turquoise eyes, a face came into focus: Sephiroth’s face. He pulled his hand back from the wound he was tending and stared at her. </span>
  <span>“Are you all right?”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth asked quietly. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… I think so... How did I—?” she turned her head to look and winced.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The </span>
  <span>chocobo</span>
  <span> bucked us off and you hit your head,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth answered, anticipating her question. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sephiroth…” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you do that?” The tone in Maggie’s voice was hollow and her eyes were fixed on something.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth followed her gaze outside the entrance to the cave. He looked up to see the gigantic</span>
  
  <span>snake he had just killed. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes… I did,”</span>
  <span> he told her quietly. </span>
  <span>“Don’t worry about that now, okay?”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stared for a moment in amazement. Sure, she had expected him to be able to do superhuman things, but this… it almost didn’t seem possible. She had assumed him capable of great things, but still she had surprisingly underestimated him. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She closed her eyes and, trying to ignore her throbbing head, listened. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The rain…</span>
  </em>
  <span> When she was young, s</span>
  <span>he had been told by her father that the rain </span>
  <span>fell from the sky to wash away the sins of the world, thus letting the world’s life flourish once again. Opening her eyes, she turned to look at Sephiroth and his mud-streaked face. She was sure that her face was equally as muddy, but it seemed almost odd on him. He was always so serious, and the mud on him reminded her of a young boy. She noticed that her hands were also completely covered. Here they were together, covered in dirt, while the world was cleansed of filth. She chuckled quietly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The rain that washes the world,” mumbled Maggie, staring off into the distance.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth slowly turned his head towards the woman. He stared at with her an uncertain </span>
  <span>expression</span>
  <span>. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She says the strangest things. What is it that goes through her head constantly?</span>
  </em>
  <span> The woman was unearthly pale and covered in mud, but her wet hair rested gently against her face and shoulders. Although wet, it still had a remarkable golden shine to it, and, although she was pale, her lips were rosy red. The main thing that caught his attention were her eyes. Their mischievous twinkle and soothing compassion made him somehow relaxed. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Neither of them realized that they were staring at each other. Maggie admired clear turquoise eyes that held so much and yet told nothing. They </span>
  <span>still seemed new </span>
  <span>to her since they had not been open in her hours spent in the </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> labs. She studied his face, wanting to memorize every line. She smiled again at the mud on his face, and tried to wipe some from his cheek, but her hand fell to the floor before she could reach. </span>
  <span>The world around her became hazy.</span>
  <span> Sephiroth noticed immediately, and caught her before she hit the floor.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sephiroth worried about how badly Maggie had injured her head. Focusing on the cut, he summoned his healing </span>
  <span>magic</span>
  <span>. It would be enough to stop the bleeding, but not to repair all the damage. She was breathing deeply with her eyes shut, and while he knew that she wanted rest, he couldn’t let her sleep. If she had a concussion, she could slip into a coma. However, she was in no condition to walk, and staying where they were would only make things worse. He… would just have to carry her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He placed one arm under her legs and the other behind her shoulders, and lifted her up. He adjusted her slightly so her head was resting against his chest. At least this way she would be a little warmer too. Her body was light, yet he felt the weight of her against him. Sephiroth was unsure of what his face portrayed as his heart pounded slightly. He tried to mentally quiet the feelings he did not recognize or understand as he jostled her back awake.   </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m tired,” she groaned grumpily, still half asleep. “Let me sleep.” She snuggled into the crook of his arm, apparently unaware of where she was at. He jostled her again. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You need to stay awake,”</span>
  <span> he told her sternly. He paused for a moment and then added, </span>
  <span>“Tell me about yourself.”</span>
  <span> That seemed to catch her attention.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you want to know?” she asked somewhat groggily.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He paused as he thought, and looked down at her. Her eyes were still closed as she waited. Never had he imagined he would be in this position: soaking wet while carrying a damsel in distress. Maggie wasn’t just some random damsel though… she had been brought to the lab where he was for some reason, and she was here with him for some reason. </span>
  <span>“Who are you?”</span>
  <span> he asked. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie peeked open one eye and looked at him. “Didn’t I tell you before? I am… was... nobody important; just a simple office manager at a mako reactor plant.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth stared at her </span>
  <span>with a skeptically-raised eyebrow</span>
  <span>. </span>
  <span>“That’s really all there is to you?”</span>
  <span> He saw her frown in frustration and couldn’t help but smirk before he kept on walking further into the cave.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well… no,” she said, continuing to frown, “but, I mean, compared to you… I’m pretty normal....” Her voice trailed off into silence and she thought about her old life… the life she'd had until the recent events. She had been trying not to think about it.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He could sense her uneasiness, and decided to prompt the conversation again. </span>
  <span>“Did you enjoy the office life?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie couldn’t help but smile. “Oh yes,” she said. “You see, I was very good at it: organizing things, collating papers, keeping things on schedule and everyone up to date. I enjoyed making things clean and orderly. There is nothing like a smooth-running office.” It almost sounded like she was talking about a romantic getaway, the way she spoke with such dreamlike passion. Then she scoffed, “I’m sure my everyday excitement was nothing to that of the glorious number one SOLDIER.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“On the contrary,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth said coldly. </span>
  <span>“The SOLDIER life was not as glamorous as the posters made it out to be.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie nodded, feeling another wave of sleepiness. “Yes, I suppose that must be true. Like everything else right now, all of my previously conceived notions are completely wrong…” She sighed and rested her eyes. “Do you think you would have preferred a nice cushy office job?”  She smiled as she tried to imagine Sephiroth in a nice white collared shirt and tie, looking over files at a desk. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth thought about this. He probably would have preferred any other life than the one he'd had, but before he could answer, she was already shaking her head and looking up at him. “I bet you would have been a terrible fit. You would have distracted all the ladies, and no one would get any work done!” She laughed, “Granted, the ladies never did get any work done whenever you flashed on the news.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had been famous once… Sephiroth found this odd. He already knew it, but at the same time, he never saw anyone. How odd it was that everyone knew about him, and yet he had only ever met a dozen people face to face… unless you counted those he had killed. The thought of people fawning over his poster was bizarre to him… </span>
  <em>
    <span>h</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>ad Maggie done the same thing?</span>
  </em>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did I keep you from working?”</span>
  <span> He tried to ask her as emotionlessly as possible. Maggie’s cheeks, even though they were cold and damp with mud, grew warm.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well… I—,” she stammered for a moment, then pulled herself together. “I tried to always be professional,” she paused and then added, “but</span>
  <span> I mean, it wasn’t like I didn’t pay attention. You’re the hero who won the big war, after all.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth’s eyes grew distant as he remembered the war… </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘Won the war’</span>
  </em>
  <span>… It had been more like a massacre. Fighting was what he was good at, what he had been born to do, but to say he took in pride in it… didn’t sound right.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was after that war that I started planning to leave </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span>,”</span>
  <span> he said quietly. </span>
  <span>“That war was nothing more than </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> violently asserting its power over others… and I was just the dog taking orders.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie felt a sour taste in her mouth as she listened to him. Everything she had known and believed in had crumbled away. “The company I was working for turns out to be an evil corporation,” she sighed, feeling lost and depressed. “Without my career, </span>
  <span>I don’t know what I’m supposed to be anymore.</span>
  <span>” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If it gives you any comfort,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth said, </span>
  <span>“I don’t know what I’m supposed to be anymore either.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a moment of silence as they entered a portion of the cave that opened up into a large cavern. The room grew bright, </span>
  <span>but it was hard to say where the light was coming from. </span>
  <span>They couldn't see rays of light— it was more like the entire room glowed.</span>
  <span> Everything was a soft green, as if the rocks themselves contained light. Sephiroth could sense the skulking of monsters up ahead, but nothing that wasn’t easily dispatched of or avoided.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie looked around the cavern. “It looks like </span>
  <span>mako</span>
  <span> energy,” she commented. She had never understood about the processing and utilization of the </span>
  <span>mako</span>
  <span>. Her job had focused more around keeping shifts covered and time cards accurate, but it was something she had still seen every day on her way to the office.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It probably is,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth told her. </span>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> picked this area to build </span>
  <span>Midgar</span>
  
  <span>because</span>
  <span> of the abundance of mako in this area,”</span>
  <span> he frowned, </span>
  <span>“but it’s not limitless. It won’t last forever.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Won’t it?” Maggie asked in ignorance. Sephiroth was unable to hide a twinge of annoyance.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> uses more </span>
  <span>mako</span>
  <span> than the planet can produce. Slowly, but surely, they will drain this area of all the </span>
  <span>mako</span>
  <span>, and then they will head for </span>
  <span>the Promised Land</span>
  <span> and continue to suck this planet dry until it can no longer sustain itself.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie yawned. “You sound like an AVALANCHE poster. ‘Bring down the evil corporation! They’re killing the planet!’” Then she paused, reflecting for a moment about her recent experience with </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span>. “It’s all true, isn’t it? What AVALANCHE said?” Not that she hadn’t already been somewhat disillusioned about the integrity of the </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> Electric Power Company, but she had thought that perhaps the people who had taken her had been acting on their own. “The whole company… President </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span>... are they really capable of such horrible things?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth’s eyes grew dark, flickering from turquoise to emerald green. </span>
  <span>“I have seen firsthand just how terrible they can be.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But not everyone!” Maggie protested. “My father wasn’t. Hell, I know I wasn’t.” She paused again. “Well, we didn’t know any better, at least.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ignorance is only a sin if you choose to remain so,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth commented coolly. </span>
  <span>“I am guilty of it. I could see so much more from my position and situation, and yet I knowingly turned a blind eye to what was right in front of me. Clearly… I made my decision to leave far too late.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What happened to you?” Maggie asked. She had been wondering about it since she first saw him. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyebrows knitted together in concern and he spoke in a low rumble. </span>
  <span>“That’s the most disturbing part… I can’t remember.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie frowned, unsatisfied with that answer. “Well, what’s the last thing you remember? Surely there must be something.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I only remember receiving my next mission orders… to report to </span>
  <span>Nibelheim</span>
  <span> to inspect the reactor there. There had been reports of monsters appearing and the reactor wasn’t functioning properly. I don’t remember actually going on the mission….”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you think someone found out about your plans to leave </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span>?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perhaps so. Perhaps locking me away was the best way to keep me from turning against them… but why not just get rid of me?”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth furrowed his eyebrows together even tighter.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re a valuable resource,” Maggie reasoned. “Maybe they thought it was worth it to hang on to you until they found a way to control you.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Whether or not that was the correct answer, </span>
  <span>it seemed to make sense to Sephiroth.</span>
  <span> His eyebrows eased up briefly, but then came back together. </span>
  <span>“That doesn’t explain you, though.”</span>
  <span> He looked down at her as they reached the other end of the cavern and entered a smaller darker tunnel. Maggie noticed how Sephiroth’s eyes had a glow even in the dark. </span>
  <span>“Why did they have you, an ordinary office manager, down in the basement with me?”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What, not good enough for you?” Maggie scoffed and then smiled teasingly, although the effect was slightly lost since her eyes kept drooping closed. He gave her a half frown and she shook her head. “No, I know what you mean, I was just teasing…. As far as I know, you’re right, there is nothing special about me— at least, nothing that I think they would really have interest in—” she yawned, “but perhaps they know something about me that I don’t.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perhaps.”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth frowned. </span>
  <span>He seemed dissatisfied with that answer.</span>
  
  <span>“They didn’t say anything that might have given you a clue?”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jacob said </span>
  <span>Hojo</span>
  <span> wanted to do an experiment, and </span>
  <span>Hojo</span>
  <span> had said something about… projects that he had thought he would have to give up on.” She frowned, wishing she could remember more. “Nothing they said makes any sense to me.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Hojo</span>
  <span> did indeed have many pet projects,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth said with disgust. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wonder what me surviving the blast has to do with all this...”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How long ago was that?”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth asked.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie tried to mentally count the days. “It’s been hard to track how much time has passed, but maybe a week ago?” she guessed. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just ahead, Sephiroth could see a light shining from the exit. As he approached it, he looked down to inspect Maggie. Other than the bump to her head, she was in pristine condition. Could she really have been in a building that exploded a week ago? That was no coincidence. There was something to her, even if she didn’t know what it was. </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> had found what they were looking for; he just didn’t know what that was. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you think you are?”</span>
  <span> he asked her as he observed that the exit to the cavern was several feet above his grip. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do I think I am?” She was puzzled at the odd phrasing of his question. </span>
  <span>“Aren’t I human? Just like you?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Brace yourself,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth said as he bent his knees and leapt upwards. Maggie barely had time to wrap her arms around his neck. It brought her face closer to his. She could hear his breath, smell his scent, and feel his warmth. It was intoxicating.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie and Sephiroth emerged from the dark cave and came into the shining sun. Obviously, the storm was on the other side of the mountain. Looking ahead, they saw a river, some forest, and a field leading towards Fort Condor. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth considered Fort Condor. It had been a nuisance to </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> in the past, and frankly he was surprised to see it still standing. </span>
  <span>A </span>
  <span>mako</span>
  <span> reactor was at the top of the Fort, but </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  
  <span>had been unable to utilize it due to the residents of Fort Condor. They wouldn’t let </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> anywhere near the reactor because of the Giant Condor and its egg residing on top of the reactor; seeing that </span>
  <span>the bird </span>
  <span>was still there, </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> had apparently not yet obtained its goal. He doubted that </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> had given up the cause, however. The rocky terrain of the plateau gave the residents quite the advantage, but they would likely eventually fall to superior fire power. All things </span>
  <span>considered,</span>
  <span> it would not be an ideal place to lay low while Maggie recovered.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span> would be even more of a challenge, considering it was </span>
  <span>Shinra’s</span>
  <span> second base— not to mention that it was still quite </span>
  <span>far.</span>
  <span> He needed to lay Maggie down so he could properly inspect the wound to her head. He decided to head toward the river. The water would be fresh and clean, and it was far enough from civilization. As a plus, it was also closer to the forest if they needed a place to hide. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie squinted in the light and looked out on the valley. The grass was green and there was the glitter of the sea out in the distance. It was beautiful. Even the sunniest day in </span>
  <span>Midgar</span>
  <span> had never been this bright. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once they reached the bank of the river, he set Maggie down on the ground, but propped her head up using one of his hands. He looked back and forth at her eyes and then held up a couple fingers. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How many fingers do you see?”</span>
  <span> he asked her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Two,” she replied. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How about the light? Does it hurt your eyes?”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shook her head, but then winced as she felt how tender her head was. Sephiroth decided that— given the conversation they had and her responsiveness— she would probably recover well and that a concussion was unlikely. It wouldn’t be a bad idea, however, for her to get a good night’s rest. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth stared out towards the forest. Out in the woods… sleeping might be a challenge. Turning back towards the river, there was an unexpected sight. Across the river, there was an old man in a small fishing boat. Sephiroth almost didn’t believe his eyes at first, but sure enough, the man waved to him. Sephiroth waved back. The old man rowed over to them, and spoke in a raspy voice. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well howdy folks! What brings you lot out this way?” Before Sephiroth could answer, the old man noticed the state of their clothing and Maggie’s position on the ground. “Trouble is what it looks like…” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We had a rough time coming through the marshlands,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth supplied. </span>
  <span>“We’re on our way to </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span>.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The old man sized them up for a moment as if deciding if they were trouble worth looking into. “Well, that’s still half a day’s walk from here… and you two don’t look like you’re in any condition to be traveling. Why don’t you two come stay at my place for the night and take off fresh in the morning?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>While staying with people didn’t seem like the best idea, the old man hadn’t recognized him, so Sephiroth doubted it was worth worrying about.</span>
  <span> He nodded and thanked the man. He gathered Maggie (who was lightly dozing) back into his arms and climbed into the boat. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The trip across the river didn’t take too long, and it turned out that the old man lived in a small cave carved into the mountain side. The little living space had only one room with no door. Inside the room, there was only a bed and a few of the man’s personal possessions. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It </span>
  <span>ain’t</span>
  <span> much to look at,” the old man chuckled, “but at least it will keep you dry.” He pointed over towards the bed. “You can go ahead and lie her there. One night on the ground won’t hurt me.” Nodding, Sephiroth gently eased her down, making sure to cushion her head gently as he did. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie’s eyes fluttered open momentarily and looked at Sephiroth. “Are we in </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span>?” she asked groggily. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth shook his head. </span>
  <span>“Not yet. You go ahead and rest for now.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She nodded and smiled at him. “Thank you for taking care of me so sweetly.” She ran her hand across his cheek and then let it fall as she drifted off to sleep. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You two make a nice couple,” the old man commented.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth felt a sudden pit form in his stomach. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ever since they had met, he had reacted strangely to her and her to him. It suddenly hit him that it was the way that two people interacted when they were attracted to each other. He had NEVER been attracted to anyone before. All he had to go on was the stories of other soldiers. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t know what to do with this knowledge. Was he truly attracted to Maggie? He stared at her muddy, sleeping face, and </span>
  <span>felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>longing</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Everything his experience and logic told him was that he </span>
  <span>shouldn’t be having these thoughts and feelings </span>
  <span>and yet… there was something. </span>
  <span>“I don’t know how to handle this…”</span>
  <span> he murmured to himself.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” the old man asked. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going to step outside for a moment,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth said, ignoring the old man’s question, and walked back towards the river. Once the cave was out of eyesight, he decided to wash off the mud that was caked in his hair and on his clothes. He hoped the cold water of the river would help clear his thoughts. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>What did it matter if he was attracted to her? The truly odd thing was that he had never, never felt this way before. He remembered the other members of the First-Class SOLDIERs: they had been so many things that he never was. They talked about girls, and romance, but that had never meant anything to him. There never was anything in his life other than the mission, and there was no mission now. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Reaching the river, he washed in a rudimentary fashion, and then sat down to think; something that he hadn’t really had time to do in the last couple days. He reflected over recent events: waking up in the basement at </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> headquarters, Maggie being there... the bloody event... More questions than answers, really. Then he remembered the report in his pocket. He pulled it out and reviewed it. Ancient Materia... there were two of them: white and black. One to save, one to destroy. Sephiroth was strong, but this... this </span>
  <span>materia</span>
  <span> of mass destruction... it could take out all of Shinra in one go. He just had to find it... before </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> did.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He thought of Maggie again and felt something clench down on his heart. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>t</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>here is no time for such things; not then, and not now. I still have a mission to complete.</span>
  </em>
  <span> His expression grew cold and dark, and besides... this was probably the best way to save her from </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span>. He set out into the forest.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“WHAT?!” Maggie shouted. “When did he leave?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Last night, I’m afraid.” the old man said quietly. “He said he was just going step out for a moment, but he never came back. You were sleeping so soundly I couldn’t wake you.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie’s heart beat so hard she thought it might rip out of her chest.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have to go, now!” She jumped out of bed and started for the exit, but the old man caught her by the arm.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hold on miss, I looked for him out there! He’s nowhere to be found, and you’re in </span>
  <span>no condition to be traveling</span>
  <span>. I’ll keep looking today, but you should really rest.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t,” Maggie said desperately. “I don’t expect you to understand; I just need you to let me go. All I can assume is that he continued on to </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span>, and if that’s the case, then I have to leave now or I’ll never catch him.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The old man shook his head but let go of her hand. “You’ll need to head </span>
  <span>northwest</span>
  <span> if you want to reach </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span>.” Maggie turned to leave, but then he said, “Wait, take this with you.” He handed her some food rations. “I’m not sure how long you’ll be out there, but being hungry won’t help.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Maggie said quietly as she stuffed them into her backpack and then ran out the opening. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Be safe!” the old man called out. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>What am I doing? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Maggie thought as she ran. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What is he doing? Why would he... why would he leave? Was I too much of a liability? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Her heart pounded, and not just from the run. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What does he expect me to do? Doesn’t he know... I’ve got nothing else!!! </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she got to the river, </span>
  <span>she borrowed the old man’s boat to get across. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sephiroth probably jumped over it, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thought, slightly envious of his superhuman abilities. There was a rope tied to the boat so the old man could always pull it back if the current were to take it away. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie stepped out of the boat gingerly when she reached the opposite side and then froze. There was a forest up ahead. Getting her bearings, she realized it would be quicker to go through the forest, but safer to go around it…</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She went through it.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As she walked down the forest path, she began to realize that she didn’t have any way to defend herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m practically a sitting duck in here</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Now she began to worry a bit: </span>
  <em>
    <span>what if I do run into something? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She quickened her pace. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a sudden whoosh from overhead. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Whoosh? Was it a bird? If it was, it was a big bird.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Quickly, Maggie</span>
  
  <span>looked for someplace to take cover, but there wasn’t enough time. Whatever it was landed squarely in front of her. Maggie knew there was nowhere she could run and be fast enough to get away. She would face it as best she could; hopefully, death would be sweet to her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking</span>
  <span> to face her opponent, she found that a girl, who looked no older than 16, stood before her with a triumphant grin. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you scared, girly!?” belted out the young girl.</span>
  <span> Her brown eyes were sparkling with pride; </span>
  <span>she held a boomerang-like weapon that resembled a giant ninja star.</span>
  <span> She had short </span>
  <span>smoky</span>
  <span>-brown hair, and a silver and green headband across her brow. She wore a short green crop-top, khaki shorts, and some kind of strange armor on her left arm and leg. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie didn’t answer her question— she just stared blankly at her, assessing the strange scenario. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Of all the things to run into…</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! I’m talking to you, space cadet! Now pay attention! You can give me your belongings now or prepare for a serious beating!” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>This time, Maggie looked her aggressor in the eye. “Here you go,” she said, and threw her travel bag on the ground. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl looked at the bag skeptically. “A little too easy. I’m mean, a smart choice given how greatly outclassed you are... but still, what are you hiding?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hiding?” Maggie glowered with disbelief. “I was hoping to be done with you quickly.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t play stupid with me— no one gives up that easily.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie found herself getting annoyed. “Listen, I don’t have time to argue with stupidity. Take the bag and move along.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stupid, am I!? We’ll see about that.” The girl </span>
  <span>readied her weapon</span>
  <span> and charged at her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite being surprised at the young girl’s speed, Maggie managed to jump to the right and spin back around, dodging the weapon.</span>
  <span> The girl quickly spun to face Maggie </span>
  <span>and lunged. Maggie didn’t have enough time to dodge this time. Her enemy had her arm and was now twisting it behind her back. Maggie let out a cry of pain.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what you get for insulting me!” the young girl jeered triumphantly. Maggie whimpered as the girl tightened her grip and searched Maggie for anything of value. The ninja girl let out a scoff of disgust. “GAWD! I’ve never seen such filthy person! What were you doing, bathing with pigs?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie didn’t reply; she was trying to get her mind off the pain in her arm. She felt something in herself rising up through her— it burned in her chest and it was powerful. “I don’t have time for this,” she growled through gritted teeth. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I have to get back to him</span>
  </em>
  <span>... </span>
  <em>
    <span>I have to know</span>
  </em>
  <span>... All the frustration that she had been trying to hide away came flooding in: t</span>
  <span>he loss of her identity, the fact that she knew and understood nothing, and that the one person who could even remotely relate to her had left her on her own.</span>
  <span> Maggie’s mind began to blur. She could feel her blood begin to boil. Rage filled her eyes and they began to</span>
  <span> burn.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unexpectedly, Maggie found the strength to not only free her arm, but lift the girl over her head from behind her back and throw her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She hit the ground hard, but didn’t stay down long. The girl quickly</span>
  <span> twisted around and looked up at Maggie with awe. “What the heck are you!?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie stared back at her with an angry expression. “A pissed-off woman,” she answered. “Now if we’re done playing games, I need to get to </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span>.” She stalked past the girl and further into the forest, still angry, but now much more confident that she could handle things.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey now, don’t think you can just ignore me!” The girl sprang to her feet, picked up the travel bag, and trotted after Maggie. “That was a freak accident! Don’t think you’d get so lucky again!” She called out taunts, but the threat in her voice was gone. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go home, little girl. Wherever you’re from.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Headed to </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span>, you say?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I need to catch the boat.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So,” the young girl mused, “you have a way to get on that boat, correct? Maybe we can…help each other.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t need YOU to help me,” Maggie said, still walking. She didn’t necessarily have a way to get on the boat, but perhaps she could still cash in her vacation pass somehow.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, I know,” said the girl. “I mean mutually. You help me and I help you. You need to get to </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span>, but there are some minor nasties in this forest that you don’t want to have to deal with, and I want to get off this gawd forsaken continent.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not sure how I could help you with that.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on, it’s not hard to figure out, is it? Just take me on the boat with you!” She attempted to ask it sweetly, but Maggie could sense the insincerity. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie rolled her eyes and sighed. “I’m not sure where you get the idea that I’ll even be able to do that, let alone that I would trust myself with the person who just attacked me.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think we can agree that getting along is mutually beneficial at this point.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Very well,” Maggie said begrudgingly, “I’ll do what I can, but I really can’t make you any promises.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl nodded and </span>
  <span>smiled falsely sweet</span>
  <span>, “Of course.”  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course.” Maggie said dryly, not trusting the young girl one bit.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, hey, I’m </span>
  <span>Yuffie</span>
  <span>. What’s your name?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Margaret.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuffie</span>
  <span> sneered at the name. “Stuffy. It fits you.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie looked at the girl and retorted, “</span>
  <span>Yuffie</span>
  <span>… sounds obnoxious.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuffie</span>
  <span>, despite being obnoxious, lived up to her word and dispatched of monsters cleanly and quickly. Despite the recent encounter, Maggie did not feel that strength well up in her again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Where had it come from?</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>All the same, Maggie was relieved when they finally got through the forest and the landscape opened up onto a grassy plain. </span>
  <span>Yuffie</span>
  <span> pointed out something in the distance. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey </span>
  <span>Margie</span>
  <span>, do you see that?” </span>
  <span>Yuffie</span>
  <span> asked. Maggie twitched at the annoying nickname.  “That’s </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span> up ahead.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie looked ahead and saw a layered city built into a cliff side. It was mostly metal, much like </span>
  <span>Midgar</span>
  <span>, and from it extended the largest canon she had ever seen. She had heard of it before, but it was quite the sight to behold. It was as long, if not longer, than the city was tall. She had heard that the cannon built up </span>
  <span>mako</span>
  <span> and condensed it before firing. The </span>
  <span>remains</span>
  <span> of whatever it hit would not be pretty. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Great, let’s keep going.” The older woman kept on walking. She didn’t need </span>
  <span>Yuffie</span>
  <span> to navigate anymore. She could get to </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span> easily now by herself. She heard a squeak of protest behind her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! We’ve been walking a long time! I took you this far; can’t we take a break? What's your rush anyway?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have to catch up with him…” said Maggie, half to herself. </span>
  <span>Yuffie</span>
  <span> cocked her head to one side with interest. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, now we have to stop and talk about whoever 'he' is! This sounds good.” The girl jumped up and grabbed Maggie’s arm. “Come on!” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, we should just keep going.” The woman tried to break free, but </span>
  <span>Yuffie</span>
  <span> brought her down to the ground. Maggie was more tired than expected, so she didn’t get back up. The grass was so soft, and she dreamed of a warm bath. Oh, how she wished to get the dirt out from her hair.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuffie</span>
  <span> let out a sigh and laid back.  Maggie sat contently, staring at the blue sky. Little white cloud puffs passed overhead. It was kind of dreamlike, but her happy dream world was </span>
  <span>suddenly popped by a</span>
  <span> jab to her right arm. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, who is he?” asked </span>
  <span>Yuffie</span>
  <span> with an innocent smile. Maggie remembered being that young once, when any amount of drama was exciting. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just someone I was traveling with.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did he ditch you?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s a pretty quick assumption,” Maggie said, frowning. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>So,</span>
  <span> you and this guy, you an item?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie sighed, “No.”  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re no fun,” </span>
  <span>Yuffie</span>
  <span> said, making a dissatisfied face. They ate some</span>
  <span> of the snacks from Maggie’s pack and then lay staring at the sky for a couple minutes </span>
  <span>in silence. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I’m done; let’s go!” </span>
  <span>Yuffie</span>
  <span> jumped up and started to dash forward. Maggie stared at her for a second before joining her. Soon they would be in </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span>, and she would be with Sephiroth again. Worried thoughts filled her mind: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why had he left her? What would be his reaction when he saw her? Would he be angry or happy?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Now that she thought about it, she didn’t even know where to start looking when she got to </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span>. Hopefully, he wouldn’t make himself too hard to find. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she really didn’t know what to do without him. There were still too many unanswered questions to just let him go.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Whatever his feelings, </span>
  <span>she wouldn’t allow him to just get away with leaving without explaining</span>
  <span>. It made her rather angry a</span>
  <span>fter what they had been through, but w</span>
  <span>as it making her angrier than it should? She shook her head and set her jaw in determination. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I will not be helpless, and I will not let you treat me like I am.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She was surprised at how angry she was at him, and also, at how much she missed him. They had hardly known each other and yet, her heart ached at the thought of him being gone. Logically, it didn’t make sense, but even so, the feeling was there. </span>
  <span>Finding Sephiroth was the only way to find out why. </span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sephiroth wasn’t worried about Maggie catching up to him. He doubted very much that she would be able to manage the terrain on her own, and that was how he wanted it. He paused for a moment and worried about what would become of her. She seemed so helpless and he had left her to fend for herself. He ground his teeth. He felt ashamed of leaving her the way he had. It felt like running away; something that he had never done... never had to do. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t matter now. Soon, he would be crossing the ocean and he would be out of her reach. He hoped Maggie would stay clear of </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span> since it was </span>
  <span>Shinra’s</span>
  <span> second-largest place of operations. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe I should have at least taken her to Fort Condor, or even the small beach town beneath </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Junon</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sephiroth shook his head; it was no time to be regretting his decision now. Wherever she was, it would be better— safer— than with him. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie, of course, had a different opinion. The only place she could remotely think of that seemed safe was with Sephiroth. She was determined to find him.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As </span>
  <span>Yuffie</span>
  <span> and Maggie approached the city, they looked up at it. Like </span>
  <span>Midgar</span>
  <span>, the main city stood on massive pillars, over-shadowing the terrain below. There was a tiny beach town beneath that would have been beautiful if not for the gloom cast by the city above. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie frowned, thinking: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Most people don’t walk to </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Junon</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>. </span>
  </em>
  <span>When she had planned her vacation, she was going to fly to </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span> and then get on a boat from there. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So, how do we get up to the city from below? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Her question was answered as they walked down the tiny street with shabby, weathered looking houses lining each side: there was a large elevator shaft leading up, guarded by a </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> soldier. The other thing that caught their attention was a loud fanfare coming from the city above. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Damn, what is that loud music?” </span>
  <span>Yuffie</span>
  <span> remarked, annoyed. “It’s giving me a headache.” She looked at Maggie. “So, you got some kind of pass to get up to the city or what?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie scoffed. “Well, this wasn’t how I originally planned to get to </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span>.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, what do we do then?” </span>
  <span>Yuffie</span>
  <span> pursed her lips while eyeing the soldier. “I can take '</span>
  <span>im</span>
  <span> out.” </span>
  <span>Yuffie</span>
  <span> smiled roguishly. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Before we do that, let’s look around for another way,” Maggie suggested. “Let’s meet back here in 10 minutes.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yuffie</span>
  <span> nodded and disappeared into the shadows. Looking around, Maggie noticed that there was a young woman in a long, pink dress </span>
  <span>talking to a woman</span>
  <span> with dark-brown hair and wearing a </span>
  <span>rather uncomfortable-looking skirt</span>
  <span>, off in the distance. As she was walking towards them, she happened to overhear part of their conversation. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I really hate this,” </span>
  <span>the dark-haired woman</span>
  <span> said.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I agree,” replied the one in pink. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie turned and looked at them. “Is everything alright?” she inquired. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two women turned to look at her. The woman in the pink dress smiled at her warmly with bright emerald eyes. “Yes, we’re just worried about our friend.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” Maggie asked, not really sure why she was asking.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The darker-haired woman sighed, “I’m sure he’s fine; he just had to go and play hero.”  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just then, a red-haired beast on all fours wandered over to them. It looked up at her curiously.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You escaped.” It spoke in a deep and yet young-sounding voice. Maggie jumped. She had not expected it to be able to speak.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Excuse me?” she asked it, looking bewildered. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span>— they had you held captive as well, didn’t they?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As well?” inquired Maggie. She stared at it— him, she decided— for a moment before the memory of passing by a red beast on the way to see </span>
  <span>Hojo</span>
  <span> came back. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes!” she said. “You escaped!” Maggie couldn’t contain her excitement: someone else who might be able to give her some answers. She looked around, and then lowered her voice to a whisper. “Why were you there? How did you escape?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sat back on his haunches, and looked up at her. “They were hoping to breed me with my friend in pink here.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie looked from the young woman back to him. “Wait, what?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He continued, “I was able to escape when her friends came to rescue her.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie looked back to the young women. “Wait, you were also being held by </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span>?” She nodded. </span>
  <span>Suddenly it seemed like being held captive by </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> was commonplace</span>
  <span>. Maggie was at a loss for words; she had so many questions, and yet no idea where to start. </span>
  <span>She teared up a little as some of the pressure of feeling so very alone was relieved.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m Maggie,” she said, holding out her hand, “and as far as I know, nothing special and yet of interest to </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span>. I’m glad I wasn’t the only one to get away.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The beast held up a paw and nodded. “</span>
  <span>Nanaki</span>
  <span> of Cosmo Canyon.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman in pink spoke up: “I’m Aeris.” She smiled at Maggie. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m </span>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span>,” said the darker-haired woman (in clothing that Maggie would have never dreamed to wear, even when she was younger. Granted, </span>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span> had the figure to pull it off.).</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Were you also a </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> captive?” Maggie asked </span>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span>. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I was part of the rescue team.” She smiled. “It was the least we could do...” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“After she saved a person very important to me.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie jumped with surprise as the voice she had just heard was not </span>
  <span>Tifa’s</span>
  <span> at all, but much deeper and rougher. She quickly turned around to see a very large, dark-skinned man with a gun grafted into his right arm. His left hand, </span>
  <span>which was a normal hand</span>
  <span>, could have easily enveloped her head. He seemed like a walking wall. It made Maggie feel very, very tiny.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“H-Hello,” was all she could manage out of her shock. For a second, she had even forgotten to breathe. The giant man smiled gruffly at her. Maggie could have sworn she had seen this man somewhere before, but didn’t have time to ask. The man turned to Aeris and spoke. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Time to go. Spiky made it, so we better follow.” His voice boomed, making Maggie’s chest quiver. Aeris and </span>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span> frowned.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Aeris began sympathetically, “we have to go now, but I’m glad that you’re safe.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie felt panic strike her heart. “Wait, please don’t go, I... I have so much to ask you.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We have to get up to the city,” </span>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span> replied quickly. “I’m sorry.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh please! Let me come with you. I... I..</span>
  <span>.”</span>
  <span> she stammered, and then had an idea. “Wait!” She rummaged through her bag. “I can get you up to the city!” She pulled out her </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> employee security ID. “Surely, I can show this to the guard and he’ll let us up the elevator.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you doing with that?” </span>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span> said, eyeing Maggie and the badge warily. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I used to work for </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span>, before they captured me, but I’m guessing that guard won’t know any better.” Maggie stood and stared at them for a moment. Since </span>
  <span>Nanaki</span>
  <span> had actually seen her captive at Shinra Headquarters, she trusted they would believe that she was no longer associated with Shinra.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aeris looked up at the large man. </span>
  <span>He just shook his head and said, “Why not? Better than jumping with some damn dolphin.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Great?” Maggie said, not understanding what she guessed was a metaphor. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The big man just shrugged it </span>
  <span>off and</span>
  <span> offered his </span>
  <span>good</span>
  <span> hand. “Name is Barret. Let’s see if this works.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie nodded and took his hand, “Maggie. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” They turned and walked towards the elevator. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they approached, the guard yelled at them, “HEY! This is </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span>, Inc.’s elevator. Don’t be snooping around here.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie put on her best office face and hoped this would work, </span>
  <span>especially since she was in dire need of clean clothes and looked a mess</span>
  <span>. “Of course, it’s </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> Inc.’s elevator; why else would I be here?” she said, dryly and annoyed. “You think I’d be coming in this way if I didn’t have to? Here is my ID. Please don’t make this take longer than it needs to— I’m already behind schedule.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The guard looked at her ID, and then back to her. He looked at the ID again, and then at the group of people behind her. “I think I’m going to need a little more to go on than that,” he said feebly, while eyeing Barret in particular. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie huffed and rubbed the bridge between her eyebrows. “Look, I should be on vacation— BUT, instead I'm here because of the recent activity of ‘you know who’, so, I really don’t want any guff from you.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He paused at that and then nodded slowly. “What about them?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My escorts; the company didn’t want me to get injured during my investigation. Now, if you PLEASE, I have important information that I need to report.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he nodded briskly, and turned to open the gate to the elevator. “I’m sure President Rufus is already waiting for you.”  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie walked coldly past him and into the elevator. “Indeed.” The others followed in behind her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they stepped inside and the doors shut, she turned her attention to the group. “President Rufus?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, you hadn't </span>
  <span>heard?</span>
  <span> Someone offed his old man,” Barret said bitterly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie didn’t know much about Rufus personally, just that he and his father had never really seen eye-to-eye on things. Had she still been working at the </span>
  <span>reactor,</span>
  <span> she would have been interested to see what changes this would make to the company. For now, she just hoped that he wasn’t interested in ‘projects’ like her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the elevator stopped, the doors opened on to what looked like a military base, but it was unusually quiet. “Wait here,” </span>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span> said, “I’m pretty sure they’ve all left for the reception, so we should be good for a moment.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Reception?” Maggie asked. “Is that what this music is about?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, for the new president of </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span>.” Barret ground his teeth. “Got to pay our respects to the new president scumbag.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie rolled it over in her head:</span>
  <em>
    <span> It had to have been an extremely recent change... had Sephiroth...?</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span> hurried back in and motioned for them to follow. “Come on, I found a locker room.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Quickly, they all searched through the lockers and grabbed uniforms. Humorously, the only clothing they could find to fit the large man was a white sailor suit. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Awe, Barret, I bet Marlene would love to see you like that,” Aeris said sweetly. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like a teddy bear shoved in a marshmallow,” </span>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span> added jokingly. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Barret grumbled, “Teddy bear my ass,” at them before heading out of the room. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Marlene?” Maggie asked. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“His daughter,” answered </span>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span>. “Alright, we need to get to the ship. What are you doing?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie hesitated for a moment. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Should I separate from the group? Is Sephiroth here? </span>
  </em>
  <span>It had already been a day, and he hadn’t planned to stay in Junon, as far as she knew. </span>
  <em>
    <span>With my luck, he’s already taken off on a ship and is long gone. Staying with the group is probably best. </span>
  </em>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m with you,” Maggie answered, and they took off. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nanaki</span>
  <span> hadn’t quite figured out his uniform, so they brought it with them; Maggie tried to get it sorted as they ran out of the locker room and made their way to the dock. Fortunately, the signs were pretty straightforward, and there was only one ship to choose from when they arrived. When they found the doors leading to the docking bay, Barret called out to them, “When we get on the ship, spread out; we don’t want to look suspicious.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They all nodded and tried to disperse. Barret and Aeris ran ahead inside the ship, but as Maggie and </span>
  <span>Nanaki</span>
  <span> approached, they heard footsteps behind them. “Hide, quickly!” hissed </span>
  <span>Nanaki</span>
  <span>. Thinking swiftly, they ran into the boat and dove to the side. Maggie didn’t see which way </span>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span> went.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They heard a man shout, “Alright, it’s time! Ten... HUT!” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another voice off in the distance announced, “President Rufus... has now arrived!” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The first leading man continued, “This is it!! Junon Military Reception...! Do it right...! Do it with enthusiasm...! Ready…!” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie could hear the movement of uniforms and clacking of rifles. </span>
  <span>Nanaki</span>
  <span> popped his head up curiously to watch the display. Maggie leaned back and peered between the cracks of the ship and machinery to see the new president of </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span>. She hadn’t expected him to be so handsome, for one thing; he didn’t seem to be any older than her. He had penetrating blue eyes, and blonde hair with bangs that hung down into his face. Judging b</span>
  <span>y his annoyed look, she suspected he wasn't a big fan of the bureaucracy that came with running a large company.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the display was done, Rufus spoke: “Well done. Keep up the good work for </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span>, Inc.”  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>A gruff man with a big, black beard that Maggie recognized as Chief of Weapons, named Heidegger, walked around and congratulated the soldiers individually. He proclaimed loudly to one of them in particular: “</span>
  <span>Gya</span>
  
  <span>haa</span>
  <span> ha...!!</span>
  <span> Here’s a special bonus for you!! A token of the President’s kindness! Don’t forget it!”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As the president and Heidegger turned to enter the boat, Maggie gently pulled the still-peering </span>
  <span>Nanaki</span>
  <span> back down slowly so he wouldn’t be noticed. Rufus spoke just before boarding. “Once the word gets out that Sephiroth’s here, Cloud and his friends will show up, too.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie heart leapt. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sephiroth is here? So, I didn't miss him.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll crush them as soon as we find them!” proclaimed Heidegger. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rufus retorted, almost threatening</span>
  <span>, “We can’t have them get in our way.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Leave it up to me, sir! </span>
  <span>Gya</span>
  
  <span>haa</span>
  <span> ha!” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought I told you to stop that stupid laugh,” Rufus spoke coldly, and turned and walked into the ship. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Heidegger added one last, “</span>
  <span>Gya</span>
  <span>….” before angrily throwing some punches at the air and following in after Rufus. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie heard the leader from earlier say, “All right! Dismissed!”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was close,” a soldier commented. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another added, “Heidegger’s been really edgy lately.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because </span>
  <span>Hojo</span>
  <span> disappeared, leaving a letter of resignation.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Heidegger’s been forced to take care of that investigation, too.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The leader broke up the conversation, “Hey—! I thought you were dismissed!” The soldiers dispersed rapidly and one came bounding into the ship, almost out of nowhere... perhaps that was Tifa. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We got some cleaning up to do! Hurry up!” yelled the leader at the only remaining soldier before running off, but instead of following him, the last soldier ran on to the ship as well. As the bay doors started to shut, Maggie helped wrangle </span>
  <span>Nanaki</span>
  <span> into his uniform. She had some stuff to process mentally... Sephiroth was here somewhere, </span>
  <span>Hojo</span>
  <span> had resigned from </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span>... did that mean she was safe now? Who was this Cloud and his friends?</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once </span>
  <span>Nanaki</span>
  <span> was in his uniform, he nodded to her and then took off. She was on her own, for now. Maggie walked around casually, trying not to stick out, but was secretly excited. She had lived in </span>
  <span>Midgar</span>
  <span> all her life, so she had never been on a boat, let alone crossed an ocean. She made her way towards the stairs leading up to the deck so she could look around. On her way, a door caught her eye. There was a soldier standing very stiffly in front of it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Probably off limits</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Maggie figured. Ignoring it, she hurried up the stairs and was quickly greeted with a burst of fresh, salty air. The boat was gently swaying across the waves. Sunbeams danced on the ocean as if trying to catch one another in a game of tag. Maggie couldn’t help but smile. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She walked over to the rim of the boat and stared down at the depths of the ocean. It was mesmerizing. Maggie stared at it for a long time without much thought. It was peaceful, but she wanted to find Sephiroth. He had to be somewhere on the boat. She stood back up and turned around. As she walked, she realized just how small the boat was. It was nothing more than a cargo boat, or so it seemed. Where was Rufus? She didn’t want to be caught off guard by him or anyone else, and have her cover blown. She walked over to the other side of the ship, and stared off into the distance. This is not the way she had thought she would be traveling to Costa Del Sol. She thought of what it would be like to actually get her vacation. </span>
  <span>If </span>
  <span>Hojo</span>
  <span> was indeed out of the mad scientist business, maybe she and Sephiroth could take a break there...</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As she spaced out, another soldier dressed the same as her came over.</span>
  <span> He asked her what was up, and without really thinking, she replied, </span>
  <span>“Oh man, we’re almost to Costa del Sol. When I get there, I’m going to take a long overdue vacation. Maybe I’ll go down to the beach and get a tan…”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The soldier had left before she even had a chance to realize what she said or whom she was talking to.</span>
  <span> She quickly turned around to see if she could spot him, but he was gone. Instead, she saw the very amusing attempt of </span>
  <span>Nanaki</span>
  <span> trying to stay standing on his hind legs. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How was he not standing out like a sore thumb? </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How are you managing?” Maggie asked him. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think I make a fine human, thank you.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Indeed,” Maggie commented, with a smile</span>
  <span>. Her smile faded as she asked, “What do you make of </span>
  <span>Hojo</span>
  <span> resigning?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That he’s tired of </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> telling him how to do his experiments…” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, probably not just done with the whole mad scientist thing…” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nanaki</span>
  <span> shook his head. “I was held by </span>
  <span>Hojo</span>
  <span> for... long enough to know that it wasn’t a job to him.” He shuddered. “It is his passion and pleasure…” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie frowned. “Do you think he’s looking for us?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perhaps.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was foolish to think the nightmare might be over.” Maggie sighed. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Be on your guard,” </span>
  <span>Nanaki</span>
  <span> warned her. She nodded and, sensing that they shouldn’t stay together for too long, got up to continue her stroll. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You, too,” she added before walking away. After walking a bit more, she concluded that Sephiroth was not on the deck (</span>
  <span>which made sense), </span>
  <span>so she decided to go back down below.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Maggie slowly descended into the cargo bay, she could feel that something was not quite right. </span>
  <span>She expected</span>
  <span> there would be the sound of people running around, making sure everything was in order, but everything was silent except for the light creaking of a door. She moved slowly down the stairs towards the open door. It seemed to be drawing her in, but maybe it was only her own curiosity pulling her forward. She could sense something evil lurking ahead, but still she advanced. She reached for the handle and sluggishly opened it. Her eyes widened at the sight; it was much like what had happened before at </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> headquarters. The smell of blood tainted the room, while splotches of it were spattered about. </span>
  <span>A man lay to her left with red spreading across his formerly white sailor suit.</span>
  
  <span>Blood pooled beneath his body; his eyes still open wide with fear. Maggie didn’t think there was any possible way for him to be alive.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suddenly, a hand grasped her shoulder, making Maggie jump. She quickly turned to see one of the ranking officers. He wore a red mask and suit. He had been sure to shut the door behind them, unlike Maggie. “What happened here, soldier?” he asked while looking about the room in shock. Maggie stood there with just as much shock as him.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know, sir,” she replied remotely.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on,” he ordered, “we’ll find out who did this.” They moved into the room by progressing down the few steps, both making sure to observe everything around them. For all they knew, the killer was still in there. Maggie hoped that it wasn’t Sephiroth, but it was too much like before. A metal-framed walkway went around the </span>
  <span>top of the room, covering</span>
  <span> the large engines of the boat. The room appeared to be empty.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They turned to leave, and then felt an icy chill run up their spines as the light flickered. They turned back around to see an angry Sephiroth with a chilling expression— he had appeared out of thin air. Sephiroth towered over her and the soldier. She stared at him, unable to move. The look on his face... it was terrifying, made all the worse </span>
  <span>as a pleased smile crept across his features as he extended</span>
  <span> his sword. Maggie knew she had to do something, or be sliced in half by the very man she had been searching for. Her flesh felt as if it were on fire, but if she stood still, she would be dead in a minute. Her heart pounded and that same burning flooded her chest. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The look on his face... Is that really his face? </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop, Sephiroth!” she shouted, but it didn’t do her much good. He didn’t even appear to recognize her voice. The sword came flying toward her side, but Maggie fell down onto the ground, landing soundly on her rear end. Before Sephiroth had a chance to react, she rolled away backwards, hopefully out of his reach, but she just didn’t have the same reflexes as him. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s me, Maggie!” she shouted as she was standing back up, but was then sent flying upwards. There was a blinding pain as the sword cleaved her side. She could feel her breath being swept away from her as she soared through the air, and almost in slow motion, she stared on in horror at the look of pleasure in Sephiroth’s eyes as he watched her blood spraying out across the room. She landed hard on the metal framing, but couldn’t feel the impact. That look he had in his eyes… </span>
  <em>
    <span>could it really be Sephiroth?</span>
  </em>
  <span> From the time she had spent with him, it didn’t seem to fit him… but seeing him now, it… it... She lay there, staring at the ceiling, feeling her blood ooze out from her side. She didn’t know how bad her wound was, but she was too scared to look. She could barely breathe. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Am I going to die? I can’t yet. I still have so much to find out. I... don’t want it to end like this. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie eyes shot open as the soldier below began to scream. She heard the loud crack as Sephiroth’s sword stabbed straight through the man’s sternum. She could hear him struggle against Sephiroth even with the sword rooted in him. She could hear him gasping for breath, until finally, all was silent. Maggie didn’t move. She was afraid to. There was the quiet noise of the sword being drawn from the man’s body, but there was no thud as the soldier’s body hit the ground. </span>
  <span>She was</span>
  <span> too frightened to move and breathed shallowly. Just as her vision was fading away, there was the sound of a door opening followed by a group of footsteps.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it Sephiroth?” came the voice of a young man. At first there was no reply, only a light thud on the ground. Maggie didn’t care what had caused it; she only wondered where Sephiroth was now.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“… After a long sleep…”</span>
  <span> came a familiar voice echoing from the darkness. </span>
  <span>“…the time…”</span>
  
  <em>
    <span>Sephiroth?</span>
  </em>
  
  <span>“…time has… come…”</span>
  <span> He didn’t sound normal at all. He sounded fragmented. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What was going on?</span>
  </em>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie’s hand twitched at a girl’s sudden outburst: “Cloud, look!!” A chill ran down her spine as she guessed who was making an appearance.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sephiroth! You’re alive!” shouted the young man. Cloud... the president had mentioned him earlier... She slowly turned her head to see him. A young-looking blonde man, but with exceptionally spiky hair, wearing a first-class SOLDIER uniform.... She recognized the two people with him as Aeris and </span>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span>. So, they were Cloud’s friends .... </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who are you?”</span>
  <span> asked Sephiroth, emotionless. Maggie had never heard him sound so cold.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t remember me!? I’m Cloud!” The young man obviously did know Sephiroth from a long time ago, but why did he sound so scared?</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cloud…”</span>
  <span> It was also obviously something Sephiroth did not remember.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sephiroth! What are you thinking!? What are you doing!?” Cloud was beginning to sound frustrated.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“…The time… is now…”</span>
  <span> It was as if Sephiroth had been removed from his body and now some crazy psycho had taken over. Like he had been turned into a zombie, only scarier.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? What are you saying? Be more—” But Cloud would never get a chance to finish his sentence. Maggie could feel anger burn within her. There was... there was something inside her, moving, thrashing through her veins. She heard a ringing that grew louder and louder until it became deafening. Everything went hot and white and then black. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Time passed. She wasn’t sure how long. A voice woke </span>
  <span>her,</span>
  <span> and she stared down at the group below.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve seen this before…” Aeris said, pointing to something twitching on the floor. Maggie did her best to see, but it was hard to make out exactly what it was.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“… JENOVA. The arm of JENOVA,” said Cloud.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“JENOVA… he’s been carrying this thing around?” </span>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span> said, as the arm disappeared. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, it WAS Sephiroth,” said Cloud with grief in his voice.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“’The time is now…’ I think that was what was said.” Aeris sounded like she was pondering the words. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What had Sephiroth meant? It hadn’t even sounded like him! Something about it all just seemed wrong…</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“…Time… is now?” Cloud asked, joining the wonderment. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m getting all confused,” </span>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span> complained. Maggie had to agree, it was all just a little mind-boggling. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What the heck was going on!?</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Cloud, explain what’s happened so far.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Please</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Maggie thought. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll try, but don’t interrupt me while I’m explaining.” Cloud took a step forward and sighed before beginning</span>
  <span>. “Sephiroth went off searching for the Promised Land, so he could become ruler of the planet… That was 5 years ago.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>What? What the heck is talking about? Sephiroth rule the planet? I thought </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Shinra</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> were the ones that wanted the Promised Land...</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then Sephiroth came back and killed President </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span>.” Maggie felt her heart sink. It had been Sephiroth after all. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And just now, all of us saw Sephiroth.” Cloud took a step back towards Aeris and Tifa. “He was carrying JENOVA with him.” From the grave tone in Cloud’s voice, she guessed that no one was too thrilled about this. “…This much I do know. He told me once he wants to go to the Promised Land with his mother, JENOVA.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Jenova— Sephiroth mentioned his mother's name before, but she died...</span>
  </em>
  <span>Cloud sighed and finished up with a simple: “I guess that’s about it.” Maggie was not only more confused, but now she was frustrated. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I need more details than that! That doesn’t add up at all!!!</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was about to throw herself over the edge and attack him for more information when her thought process was interrupted by an intercom </span>
  <span>announcement</span>
  <span> from overhead.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dock Workers: we will be docking in Costa del Sol in five minutes. Prepare for docking.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span> looked at them, saying, “We should hide somewhere again,” before turning and leaving with Aeris. Cloud didn’t follow directly after them, pausing before he left to quietly murmur, “Sephiroth… is alive…. The Promised Land… Does it really exist?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>With Cloud and company gone, Maggie winced, looking around. Where was Sephiroth? He couldn’t have gotten off the boat already. They weren’t even docked yet. But how would she get down there? Maybe if she rolled? She should have called out to Aeris and </span>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span> when she had the chance. She knew she was still bleeding and knew that moving wasn’t ideal... but if she was going to die anyways, she was going to give it her all, and she would see Sephiroth one last time...</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had rolled halfway across the grated walkway towards the ladder on the other side (with much moaning and unpleasant pain) when she heard groaning beneath her. Her eyes widened as Sephiroth was suddenly below her, holding his head with one hand. Somehow, </span>
  <span>she believed this would be the Sephiroth she knew</span>
  <span>. He was making his way towards the door leading to the deck, but she couldn’t let him just walk out right in front of her. Summoning her strength, she called out to him.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sephiroth!”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man lowered his hand, turned, and looked around, seemingly puzzled. Maggie was afraid to take her hands away from the </span>
  <span>wound,</span>
  <span> so she tapped her head on the railing. Good thing she was still wearing a helmet.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked at her with confusion.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s me…” she said, almost faintly. It was getting hard to breathe again.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who?”</span>
  <span> he asked in a tone that told her he really didn’t care, but she had to let him know. But she didn’t think she could summon the strength to speak again. Taking a hand off her wound, she reached for the edge of her helmet, unlatched it from under her chin, and began to lift.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth stared in amazement as the helmet hit the floor in front of him. He had watched as her golden hair spilled out from the helmet. He wanted to deny it, but he knew those curls and that voice. Fear flooded back to him as he remembered the emotions he had felt back at the old man’s cave, the very emotions he was running away from.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>An even stronger panic struck Sephiroth’s heart as he saw blood pooling on the floor beneath her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What had happened to her?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Quickly he climbed the ladder and ran over to her. She lay there in a </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> uniform with one hand grasped tightly to her side; the other was lying limp next to her head. She was still breathing, but very shallowly. She stared at him and tried to smile, but it hurt to do so.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I finally found you.” She stared into his turquoise eyes that were filled with concern, and realized just how strong her feelings towards him were. While she still felt like a stranger to him, she knew more now, maybe enough to keep him from running away. Not that it mattered: she had lost so much blood, and had already pushed herself on too many times.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What happened to you?”</span>
  <span> He was obviously worried, and seemed not to remember what he had done to her. She couldn’t tell him. There was no way she could. Maggie looked away from him. She knew her eyes would give it away.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man was trying to see what she was hiding, but then a fuzzy recollection of slashing a </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> soldier across the room flooded into his mind. He furrowed his eyebrows together in pain and puzzlement.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maggie… I didn’t, did I?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t want to answer him. She just kept looking away from him, pain staining her eyes. Sephiroth didn’t want to know either, so he let it rest and reached down internally to find his will. He focused his thoughts into his healing ability, and Maggie felt a tingling sensation in her side as the wound healed over. Of course, it would only stop the bleeding, but for now it was the best that could be done. She would need a lot of rest to fully recover.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gently picked her up into his arms. He had to get her somewhere safe. Somewhere she could rest. With the commotion he had caused, he doubted staying in Costa del Sol would be a good idea. Of course, now he was stuck in the same predicament he had been before: keeping Maggie safe. He had tried to leave her behind, and now she was even worse off than when he had left her. He knew what he had to do; she had chased him this far... she at least deserved an explanation. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Most everyone was dead or off the ship by the time they exited. Apparently, searching the ship was low priority. They were able to make it out of the town without anyone noticing. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth hadn’t stopped walking until the sunny Costa del Sol </span>
  <span>was lost behind a mountain path. They had reached a quiet plain at the base of a larger </span>
  <span>mountain range</span>
  <span>, and Sephiroth decided this would be a good place to rest before continuing on. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie was still asleep as Sephiroth lay down to watch the setting sun. The man hadn’t in the least bit expected Maggie to catch up to him, and yet here she was. He would have to tell her his plan, and then convince her to go and stay somewhere safe... Maybe when all was said and done... he could go back to her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>When the mission is finally over...</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sephiroth?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man twisted so that he could look at her. She was attempting to sit up, but doing a poor job. Her side still ached; he could tell by the way she clutched at it. He helped her sit up the rest of the way. She had a distraught expression, and he felt a knot form in his stomach.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know back on the boat?” Maggie waited for him to nod. “Well, as I was laying on top of the metal grating… I heard some… unusual things…. I don’t understand any of this... Someone said Jenova was your mother and that you were looking for something called the Promised Land?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man lay quietly for a bit before answering. </span>
  <span>“I don’t know anything about a Promised Land… other than </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> thinking it’s a place full of </span>
  <span>mako</span>
  <span> energy,”</span>
  <span> he replied with a strained expression. </span>
  <span>“And, yes, Jenova was my mother's name, but she died during labor.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes, but they said you were carrying her with you...” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like, in my heart?”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth scoffed. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It seemed like they meant physically, but I don’t see how that could be... She isn’t here with us.” They both sat feeling utterly confused. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie’s frown deepened. “They also said you wanted to be the ruler of this planet.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth scoffed at that. </span>
  <span>“Seems a bit extreme to me... Who said this?”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was someone named Cloud.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shook his head. </span>
  <span>“I don’t know anyone by that name.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, it seems we have more questions and less answers…” Maggie sighed. “Things just got more complicated</span>
  <span>.” </span>
  <span>The implications were a lot to consider, but there was not enough information to process it properly</span>
  <span>, so, Maggie decided to change the subject for a moment. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why did you leave me behind?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I…”</span>
  <span> he hesitated. </span>
  <span>“I’m going to go... I’m going to do something dangerous and I didn’t want you to be in danger.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, I’d be in the way, you mean…” Sephiroth didn’t respond to that. She continued, “So, why didn’t you tell me? What is it that you are planning to do?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth sighed and pulled the report on ‘Ancient Materia’ from his pocket. </span>
  <span>“If what this says is correct, then there is a black </span>
  <span>materia</span>
  <span> out there capable of mass destruction.”</span>
  <span> He paused, letting that sink in. </span>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> has to be destroyed, Maggie. They can’t be allowed to continue. I can’t allow it.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie eyes shifted back and forth, thinking, </span>
  <em>
    <span>If</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> such a burden is to be borne, surely Sephiroth is the one to do it. Wiping out </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Shinra</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>, though, would also have a lot of consequences... displaced workers, loss of modern conveniences... but if </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Shinra</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> is allowed to continue, and </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>if what Avalanche says is true, then the whole planet will die. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“</span>
  </em>
  <span>I don’t know,” Maggie said. “There is too much I don’t understand; this is all just so much bigger than I am.” She reached up and turned his face towards her. “All I DO know is that the only thing that feels right is being with you. I told you before, that if I’m going to travel with you, I’ll trust your judgement.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt her intoxicating eyes drawing him in again</span>
  <span>.</span>
  <span> He reached his hand up to her face and stroked a few golden strands out of the way. She pleaded, “Please, don’t leave me again.” Sephiroth’s heart beat rapidly, he wanted to do something, but he didn’t know what.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unsure of what to do, he broke his gaze and answered, </span>
  <span>“It’s going to be dangerous.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie furrowed her eyebrows in frustration. “Hasn’t everything been dangerous up to this point? Sephiroth, nowhere is safe. I’m convinced that my odds of survival are at their best with you, and besides all that... there is some major information missing regarding both of our lives. Two heads are better than one, aren’t they?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth’s eyes went down to the wound in her side. There was definitely something he was missing in his memory— since when did he go on killing sprees without remembering it? </span>
  <span>“What... what if I hurt you?”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie thought back to the boat. That had definitely not been the normal Sephiroth; it was like he had been possessed. She grabbed Sephiroth’s hand. “I think the odds of that will be unlikely IF I’m with you. I’m sure the only reason this happened,” she motioned to her side, “was because you didn’t know it was me.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He could see the logic in that. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So, k</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>eeping her with me is the only way to keep her safe from myself.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>He nodded. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“</span>
  </em>
  <span>That being said,” she looked at him seriously, “we’re in this together now. I’m not just along for the ride; we both want answers and we both want to stop </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span>. From here on, we don’t hide things from each other.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth felt uneasy. He had always been alone, which was what he was comfortable with. Sharing his thoughts with someone else, working with someone else: that was new. Soldiers swap stories and joke around, but what Maggie was proposing was much deeper. Deeper than he had ever gone before. They may not like what they found out about themselves. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>For the first time, Maggie saw his mask crack, a look of anxiety crossing his face. She squeezed his hand a little tighter. “It’s okay,” she said. “I won’t deny that what the future holds might be terrifying, but it won’t be as scary if we face it together, right?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pulled his </span>
  <span>mask back together</span>
  <span> and scoffed, </span>
  <span>“What do we have to be afraid of?”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie smiled, recognizing the defense mechanism. “Nothing,” she agreed with him. They both lay back down on the grass to sleep, but she noticed that Sephiroth did not let go of her hand.   </span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Although the pain was still sharp in her side, she felt considerably better. Maggie opened her eyes to see the sky just barely starting to light up. She couldn’t help but wonder what would happen from now on. There was the safe satisfaction of knowing that Sephiroth didn’t plan to leave her anymore, nor did he desire it. There were still many secrets about him that she could not even begin to imagine, but where would this all lead? Would she ever know or understand her sudden uniqueness from the rest of the world?  There were few who could give her that answer. Sephiroth was probably the only one with whom she could find answers. </p>
<p>She sat up slowly, making sure not to cause herself any pain. Sephiroth was still asleep not too far away.  Oddly, he was not wearing his coat, leaving him shirtless. Looking around, she found it placed upon her lap. He must have put it on her sometime after she went to bed. She always got cold at night. She smiled at the small sign of affection, and then realized that the man was stirring. He rubbed his face with his right hand, and yawned before sitting up to look at her. </p>
<p>“How do you feel?” he asked.  </p>
<p>“Better than I thought I would,” she answered. Her side was definitely still tender, but she didn’t feel nearly as weak as she had the night before.  </p>
<p>“Glad to hear it. So, from here we need to head west.” Sephiroth stood and pointed towards a mountain range. The sun was lining their pointed peaks, giving an almost unearthly glow. None of them were so large as to get snow on their tops, but mountains are still mountains. “There is someone I want to visit at the Gold Saucer. They might have a clue regarding the black materia, but we’ll have to travel through the mountains to get there.”  </p>
<p>“The Gold Saucer? How will we afford it? And who are you talking about?” The Gold Saucer was a huge amusement park and resort, but not catered to poor visitors. The park actually had its own currency and the exchange rate was in favor of the resort. </p>
<p>“Well, I’m hoping my abilities will cover the bill, and I'm thinking of questioning the owner. Dio is quite the collector.” Sephiroth paused momentarily. “Assuming he is still in charge.”  </p>
<p>Maggie nodded. “Yes, Dio still runs the Gold Saucer. Hard to think of that ever changing.” Dio, aside from being unbelievably wealthy, was also known for his extraordinarily fit body.  He loved his business and he loved himself. You could tell by the giant golden statue of himself at the resort.   </p>
<p>“Have you been there before?” Sephiroth asked her.  </p>
<p>“No, but I’ve heard plenty about it. A few of my previous coworkers have been before. Never could quite justify the price myself, and besides,” she laughed pitifully, “who would I have gone with? It’s just sad to go on a trip that expensive by yourself.”  </p>
<p>Sephiroth nodded in agreement. A sudden idea popped in her head, and Maggie looked at him with a mischievous grin. “Are you a secret lover of amusement rides? And how do you know the owner?”  </p>
<p>“I don’t,” he said, choosing not to acknowledge her first question. “I just know of him. One of his favorite choices of entertainment is his battle arena; I figure I should be amusing enough for him.”  </p>
<p>“Yes... amusing,” Maggie teased. Sephiroth shook his head and changed the subject as he snatched his coat from her and put it back on.   </p>
<p>“Do you think you can walk?” Even if she could, he was considering carrying her because he didn’t want her to overwork herself. The guilt of the injury he had given her still hung heavily on his shoulders. The Shinra uniform she wore showed where he had sliced her open. Even though he was unaware of his actions at the time, he couldn’t help but feel badly for it. </p>
<p>Maggie tried to stand, but her legs didn't want to do what she was asking them to. Apparently, despite not feeling as weak, her body disagreed. Seeing her struggles, Sephiroth strolled over to her, grabbed her arms, and helped her up. She tried to rest her weight on her limbs, but they just wouldn’t support her. Maggie looked at him and shook her head. The man sighed and swept her into his arms. She looked up at him with big brown eyes and a childish expression. As she opened her mouth to speak, he hushed her with a stare. </p>
<p>“You still need rest,” he told her sternly. “You just fall asleep, and I’ll get us through the mountains.” </p>
<p>She nodded her head and then slowly closed her eyes. Her head rested gently against his chest, where she could hear the beating of his heart. She thought back to the ship: the look on his face as he had sliced her open... that group of people she had met who seemed to know Sephiroth from 5 years ago... the way one of them had spoken about Sephiroth... It was as if he was a monster... <em> But </em> , she thought as she listened,  <em> h</em><em>e has a heart like any other person </em> .  Its steady beat began to lull her to sleep.  <em> I’m not sure what happened on the ship, but... that definitely wasn’t the person who is holding me now.  </em> Despite what had happened, she felt safe in his grasp.   </p>
<p>Sephiroth held her securely and did his best to keep her steady; he didn’t want to wake her. He started up steep terrain when the sun was just showing over the peaks of the mountains. The air around him had a peaceful hum, making everything seem so serene. The sun made Maggie’s hair shine and her face glow, and he couldn’t help but notice that she was beautiful. His biggest regret now was that he had damaged her. </p>
<p> “You’re going that way?” called a voice from the side. Sephiroth turned around, surprised that he hadn’t realized anyone was there. It was an old man walking in the opposite direction. The elderly man exclaimed while looking somewhat astounded, “It’s dangerous up that way!” </p>
<p>Sephiroth paid him no mind and kept his steady pace to the top. Upon reaching the summit, he looked down over the cliffs. A zigzag of stairs led down to a mako reactor in the valley below. Surveying the land around it, he saw that the life had been almost sucked out completely. Just behind them was the beautiful green field that they had spent the night on. Here, it was almost a wasteland. Sephiroth began walking down the stairs. Below, he could see a railroad track leading from out of the reactor and further down into the valley. <em> If I follow the tracks, I should be able to find the next town, hopefully without too much interference and as little strain on Maggie as possible </em> <em> ,  </em>he thought. </p>
<p>He walked along, looking for the so-called ‘danger’ the old man had warned him of, but saw nothing that looked particularly threatening. He rounded the corner and found that the railroad track did not know the meaning of the word ‘straight’; it went up and down and twisted in more places than could possibly be safe. The world’s most rickety, old, and wooden train tracks lay before him (although with the way the tracks shot up and down, it might as well have been a roller coaster). With a sigh, he started forward and made sure to scan each piece of wood before he stepped on it. </p>
<p><em> Maggie turned the corner in the lab at  </em> <em> Shinra </em> <em>  headquarters; another body was on the ground before her and the large container was to her right. She felt the slow, rhythmic heartbeat of whatever was inside.  </em> <b> <em> REUNION </em> </b> <em> . It called to her. Part of her wanted to run away; another dragged her in. She walked closer and closer to it. She placed her hands on either side of the small window on the container, and looked inside. Maggie screamed  </em>and began to flail. </p>
<p>Sephiroth, who was completely caught off-guard, nearly lost his balance. He stood on the edge of the railing and very long drop lay below him. Maggie continued to move wildly about, and he did his best to contain her while trying to keep the both of them from falling off. </p>
<p>“Maggie, calm down!” his voice commanded, and her body movements quickly halted. She looked up at him, down at his chest, and then at her surroundings. “Are you alright, now?” he asked soothingly. Maggie’s eyes darted around nervously, but there was only Sephiroth. </p>
<p>“I’m okay… I think. Just a dream….” she said quietly. </p>
<p>There was a cracking noise. Before either of them had time to assess the source of the noise, the planks beneath Sephiroth’s feet gave way and they plummeted downwards. Maggie, too scared to even make a noise, clutched desperately onto Sephiroth. </p>
<p>There wasn’t much time to think. Sephiroth held Maggie with his right arm and reached out to grab the wooden structure with his left. His hand caught and they hung for a moment; the wood began to creak. Maggie held her breath. </p>
<p>He lifted Maggie up and onto another sturdier-looking bar.  She was able to grasp her arms around a pole and sit securely on the beam, but she only had time to gasp before the bar holding Sephiroth broke, and he dropped below. Her eyes widened as he fell and faded from her sight. The last thing she saw was his eyes calling out to her as if saying, <em> Stay safe. </em>   </p>
<p>Maggie didn’t know what to do. She was in no condition to move, let alone climb. She looked down, hoping to see something, anything. <em> Just like that, separated again. </em>  Maggie sighed and smiled weakly. Oddly, she didn’t worry about him being hurt, the only thing that bothered her  was the space between them. Somehow, him dying just didn’t seem possible. She mused,  <em> At least we’ve always found each other again, no matter how painful the reunion. </em> </p>
<p><b> REUNION </b> . The word rang inside her head. The word felt both warm and sickening to her. She felt like there was someplace she needed to be, but she wasn’t so sure she actually wanted to go there. Maggie stared upwards into the sky.  <em> Where do  </em> <b> <em> I </em> </b> <em>  want to go? </em>  She thought for a moment. <em>Wherever  </em> <em> Sephiroth </em> <em>  is going, but is that only because I have nowhere else to go? </em> </p>
<p>Her heart started to beat heavily as she thought about him. The past week they had spent together had been the most eventful in her life. She thought about every moment she was with him: when he smiled, when he was angry, the way he looked at her. His mask, that had seemed so unbreakable at first, seemed to be breaking. He hadn’t said as much, but she had the feeling that he definitely felt something for her.  </p>
<p>CRACK! Reactively, she grabbed onto the wooden beam in front of her. She closed her eyes and waited for the structure to give, but it didn’t. Carefully, opening her eyes, she turned to look around. Maggie was perplexed. <em> Where had the noise come from? </em> Something grabbed her by the back of her uniform. </p>
<p>She screamed and clenched her eyes shut again. Wrapping her arms around the beam even tighter, she wasn’t about to let go. It pulled on her a little and then released. Whatever it was leaned into her and wrapped around her stomach. </p>
<p>“Maggie,” a familiar voice said softly, “let go.” She released her grip and let herself be lifted, and before she knew what was happening, she was gliding upwards through the air. When the rushing of the air stopped, she opened her eyes. </p>
<p>Sephiroth was holding her and they started off on their journey once again. Maggie looked up at him and smiled. “You came back.” Sephiroth looked down into her soft brown eyes and felt his heart beat a little harder. </p>
<p>“Of course,” he stammered. “You think I would have left you there?” His cheeks grew warm. Before he had any time to explain further, her eyes shut and she fell back asleep. He smirked and continued along the rickety tracks. <em> Your life was in danger just a moment ago and already you sleep like a child… </em> </p>
<p>The tracks wrapped around and down onto the mountain side. For a place that looked so dead, when the sun shined, the land looked almost to be made of gold. Even with the splendid view out into the gorge beyond (not to mention below), Sephiroth couldn’t help but sigh with relief once he reached solid rock instead of unstable wood.   </p>
<p>A few more turns around corners and the two of them found the large, long bridge that led to a small, desolate town called Corel. By now, the sun was high in the sky, suggesting the majority of the morning had passed them by, if not entirely. He set out on the bridge, walking slowly, and noticed Maggie stirring again in her sleep. He hoped she dreamed about something better this time, even if only for the sole hope that she didn’t start flailing again. The swaying of the bridge was both soothing and gut wrenching. Maggie dug her face into Sephiroth’s chest as they went, and frowned whenever the bridge changed direction.  </p>
<p>As they reached the end of the bridge, Sephiroth stared ahead at the gathering of tents and makeshift concrete buildings. A banner read “North Corel.”  Men sorted through junk, looking for anything that might be useful, and children kicked garbage back and forth for amusement. A few people called out, asking them to buy something. Sephiroth looked around and saw the one thing that stuck out like sore thumb: a railway station, well-maintained, that led up and away from this garbage heap. He thought it was strange that— with the station being here— the town wasn’t more prosperous<em> . </em> The station wouldn’t stay so well maintained if no one came to use it. </p>
<p>The railway car was a shiny metallic blue with an orange bottom and looked like a bus with two small jet engines attached to it. It was suspended on several thick, dark cables that led up and away. On a billboard with fading blue lettering and white background with dirty streaks were the words ‘Gold Saucer.’  </p>
<p>Without hesitation, Sephiroth boarded the cable car, not wanting to stay a moment longer than was necessary in the run-down town.  He laid Maggie down on the seat of the car, and brushed the hair from her face.  He sighed, looking at her peaceful and happy expression.  Sephiroth still had conflicting emotions about her, but he knew that leaving her would do no good at this point. With her resolve, she would just find her way back again. <em> Just what did she go through to get on that boat? How did she pull it off? </em>She had, once again, surprised him. He felt oddly comfortable with her, as if she was a part of himself in some way. He wanted her to go somewhere and be safe, but he also wanted her with him.  </p>
<p>He sat down beside her as the car started to move, and stared into the light of the still-bright day. Whatever the rest of this day would bring, he was sure it would be interesting. He just hoped it would be fruitful.     </p>
<p>Maggie’s eyes fluttered opened as the cable car ascended into the air. Alarmed, she sat up and stared out the window to see the ground falling away from them. The afternoon sunlight danced over the mountain peaks and the valley below. Had they really traveled so far in such a short time or had more time passed than she thought?  </p>
<p>She leaned back and looked around the inside of the car.  It was clean and well-kept, and beside her sat Sephiroth. “Are we almost there, already?” she asked him.  </p>
<p>“Just a few minutes now,” he answered. She stared out the window and saw as the lights and domes appeared. The Gold Saucer was built high into the sky, each attraction of the resort in a separate dome stemming off the main towering structure. Cheerful music filled the air, along with fireworks. Of course, there was also the giant golden statue of Dio. You couldn’t miss it.  </p>
<p>“I knew it was supposed to be grand, but it’s even bigger than I imagined,” Maggie marveled.  As they approached, neon lights flashed ‘Welcome to the Gold Saucer’ among other electronic advertisements. Passing under the signs, the railcar pulled into the station, where balloons soared through the air and a man in a fat chocobo costume danced around to welcome incoming guests.  </p>
<p>Sephiroth helped Maggie to stand, something that she was able to manage this time, but she continued to hold on to his arm for stability. He led her off the car and onto the brightly decorated platform. Giant moogles and chocobos were the main theme of the resort. They approached the entrance where a blond woman dressed in a black and pink uniform waited. Seeing the state of their appearance, she stiffened up slightly and said, “Welcome to the Gold Saucer. A single pass is 3000 gil,” she hesitated before continuing, “or you can purchase a lifetime pass for 30,000 gil.”  </p>
<p>“Actually,” Sephiroth spoke, “is Dio available? This is more of a business trip than a vacation.”  </p>
<p>The woman looked at him like he was crazy. “I can’t just call the boss down here on a whim.”  </p>
<p>“I promise it won’t be a waste of your time.” Maggie felt it as much as the other woman, the low rumble of Sephiroth’s voice, the wish of that promise leading to other things. Maggie wondered if Sephiroth was actually aware of his effect on women and didn’t blame the woman as her cheeks flushed a soft pink.  </p>
<p>“Who should I tell him is calling?” she asked timidly.  </p>
<p>“A challenger.”   </p>
<p>She raised an eyebrow at that, but reached down for her radio all the same. “Just wait here a moment.” She walked a few steps down the hallway and initiated a conversation.  </p>
<p>Maggie bit her lip and looked up at Sephiroth. “Do you think this will work?”  </p>
<p>“Even if it doesn’t, I’m not too far off from affording a day pass. I’ll just go hunt down a couple more monsters and we’ll get in.” He sighed. “This is just easier, and maybe we can also afford a hot meal if we don’t have to pay the entrance fee.”  </p>
<p>Maggie thought about her pack, which was running low on supplies. A hot meal, after eating nothing but dried rations, sounded glorious. </p>
<p>The woman returned and nodded. “Alright, you have Dio’s attention. Apparently, your phrasing and my description of you were enough.” She pointed to the side. “Wait over there and someone will be here in a moment to escort you to the Battle Arena.” Sephiroth nodded and walked Maggie over.  </p>
<p>It didn’t take long for a couple of security guards to arrive and motion for them to follow. They walked through a hallway that opened up into a large area where the floor was labeled with the different areas of the resort. It appeared as though you took slides to each adjoining area. The security guards walked over to the one labeled ‘Battle Square’ and then one jumped in while the other motioned for Sephiroth and Maggie to follow. Maggie looked up at Sephiroth, unsure, but he just lifted her up and into the tube of the slide before climbing in behind her. She sat between his legs feeling very childish, and then blushed as he wrapped his arms around her. Maggie wanted to say something, but didn’t get the chance before he pushed off and sent them off sliding towards the Battle Square. However, she did yelp in surprise. The slide was faster than she was comfortable with, but Sephiroth held her gently. When they came flying out of the tube, he landed gracefully on his feet and made sure Maggie did too. Without a word, he offered his arm back to her and they walked up a long purple carpet to a fortress-like building with a yellow spotlight shining on one side and a purple spotlight on the other.  </p>
<p>Maggie must have been making a funny face because Sephiroth asked her, “Is everything alright?”  </p>
<p>She looked up at him and muttered with embarrassment, “How did you just do something so childish so gracefully?” She looked back towards the slide. “Don’t you feel silly?”  </p>
<p>“Should I?” He bent over to look her directly in the face, and she flushed red. “Do you?” He smiled at her and then seeing her flustered expression, he straightened back up and laughed at her.  </p>
<p>“Well, now I feel silly for feeling silly!” she grumbled at him. He laughed a little more, but didn’t tease her further. They followed the purple carpet, which led straight through the lobby and up a small flight of stairs to the actual battle area. At least, that is what Maggie assumed, based on the giant skull and the banner that read 'Challenger' over the doorway. Stonework aligned the walls and the floor was checkered black and white marble. The security guard led them up a smaller set of steps to the right and up into a room labeled ‘Dio’s Show Room.' It was written in gold lettering on a black background.  </p>
<p>The first thing they saw in the room was the giant picture of Dio hanging on the back wall. He looked young and tan with a dark beard and hair. The man that stood in the room looked a decade or so older, but still very tan and muscular.  He wore only a red-colored speedo with a gold belt, so Maggie found herself trying to look elsewhere about the room. There were all sorts of contraptions in the room: a large clock, a suit for underwater diving, plants, vases, miniature hot air balloons and dirigibles, and an old looking spear and shield. He certainly collected an interesting variety.  </p>
<p>“Hey boy,” Dio called out, “you the challenger here on business?”  </p>
<p>Sephiroth stared at him for a moment; he was not used to be being called a ‘boy’. “If you mean me,” there was a slight tone of offense in his voice, “then yes. I hear you might have information on something that I’m looking for and I thought in return that I might give you a show like you’ve never seen.”  </p>
<p>“Many have boasted such a claim, boy.” Dio laughed skeptically. “Why should I take you up on this offer?”  </p>
<p>“How about I show you, and then you decide.” Sephiroth was the epitome of confidence. <em> And why wouldn’t he be? </em> Maggie thought, thinking back to the zolom in the marshes.  </p>
<p>Dio smiled at that and said, “Hoo boy, I like your moxie. Let’s see what you got.” He started to lead them back out of the show room when he paused and stared at Maggie. “Your friend doesn’t look too well.”  </p>
<p>Maggie blushed; she was still a mess and wearing an unrecognizable tattered uniform. “It’s been a rough trip, but I’m fine,” she assured him.  </p>
<p>“Very well,” Dio said, “but why don’t you sit with me, miss, while the boy puts on a show?” Maggie looked to Sephiroth, who nodded. Dio offered his arm to Maggie and Sephiroth walked her over and passed her off to Dio. Sephiroth walked out of the room back towards the entrance to the arena and Dio led her through a door on the side of the show room to a box where they could view the arena below.  </p>
<p>“So,” he asked her as he helped her into her seat, “who are you, girl, and why are you so roughed up?”  </p>
<p>“Just a girl,” she answered (she had noticed that Sephiroth had not offered his name in the opening exchange of pleasantries), “going through a rough time.”  </p>
<p>“Does this have anything to do with why the boy is so eager to entertain me?” Dio asked as Maggie watched Sephiroth enter the arena. It was a stone square with water surrounding it. In the center was a large red ring that read ‘THE BRAVE DO NOT FEAR THE GRAVE' in orange lettering. Maggie shook her head and leaned forward to watch intently.  </p>
<p>Dio smiled. “Do you know how my arena works?” Maggie again shook her head. “I unleash monsters for people to fight, BUT each round gets harder, as you are restricted from using certain abilities or you have other status ailments inflicted. I hope this boy can put on a good show.”  </p>
<p>“If I know him... he will,” Maggie said quietly.   </p>
<p>The first monster was actually a robot that rolled around on a sphere surrounded by spikes. Sephiroth held out his hand and his blade appeared. He slashed down the robot before it even got to attack. Dio inched forward in his seat a little. A wheel on the wall turned and decided that the first ailment would be to transform into a toad. Maggie held a hand up to her mouth; something like that would have to slow even Sephiroth down, wouldn’t it? The ailment was cast and nothing happened. Sephiroth still stood holding his blade ready for the next monster.  </p>
<p>Next were two large, greenish-blue lizard creatures. They had a moment to cast a stone spell, but it fizzled away as Sephiroth effortlessly struck them down. Sephiroth looked up at Dio with a bored expression. Dio was visibly excited now. The wheel spun again and this time it stated that Sephiroth’s magic casting would be halved.  </p>
<p>The monster who came out was much bigger than the last two. It looked like a green triceratops, with monster truck wheels instead of legs, with two massive muscular arms. It sped forward, fully intending to run Sephiroth over, but Sephiroth lazily dodged the thing and then, as if in mockery of the restriction on him, cast a lightning-based spell that defeated the hulking creature with one strike.  </p>
<p>The wheel spun again and this time it said that Sephiroth would be down 10 levels. <em>From what, a million?  </em>Maggie thought, and inched forward on her seat, waiting to see what would come out next. She noticed that Dio had an almost dreamy expression on his face.  </p>
<p>It was a chimera-like creature comprised of all different kinds of birds, but with the haunches of a lion. Maggie actually found it somewhat beautiful and was actually kind of sad when, in its attempt to fly into the air and be unreachable, Sephiroth gracefully leapt up and struck it down. She heard a giggle come from Dio.  </p>
<p>Another spin of the wheel and it claimed that support materia would be broken. <em> Have I even seen  </em> <em> Sephiroth </em> <em>  use  </em> <em> materia </em> <em> ?  </em> Maggie wondered.  <em> He has definitely cast magic multiple times, though... so how does he do it?  </em>Three small, blue, chicken-like creatures with spiky tails appeared and leapt up to try and peck at Sephiroth. With one swing of his sword, they all came crashing down. Dio sighed.  </p>
<p>This time, magic materia would be broken and the monsters that appeared were two wolves, like what Maggie had seen in the Midgar area.  A green dragon-like creature also appeared, roughly twice the size of the wolves, that had huge puffy red cheeks and chin. Maggie found herself shouting “Boo!!! Make it more entertaining!”  </p>
<p>“Need better monsters for that!” Sephiroth called back to her. Maggie smiled and watched him proudly. The wolves lunged and Sephiroth and intentionally held still until the last possible second and then struck them both down before they could reach him. The dragon creature blew a poisonous black smoke, which Sephiroth walked straight through, unaffected, and then stabbed the beast straight down its middle. He looked up towards Dio and Maggie, and shrugged.  </p>
<p>“That was a little better, I guess!” Maggie said, goading him. Dio looked from Sephiroth to Maggie and then back to Sephiroth intently.  </p>
<p>The wheel spun again and sealed Sephiroth’s items; he laughed. A<em>s if I needed them </em>, he thought sarcastically.  </p>
<p>Two stone golems appeared, spinning wrecking balls over their heads, along with what could only be described as a purple carrot with arms and an alien-looking face. “Come on! Make it interesting!” Maggie cheered. Sephiroth looked up and her and smirked. The sword disappeared from view, causing Dio to give out a small gasp. Sephiroth then threw off his coat and gloves and rolled his shoulders back, readying himself. Dio let out a loud whistle. Sephiroth ran forward and punched one of the golems in the center of its chest where a small red gem was. It melted to sand around his fist. He then flashed the sword back, cut the carrot in half, and then made his sword disappear again before striking the second golem in a similar fashion to the first. Maggie and Dio clapped at the beautiful display.  </p>
<p>“Alright, let’s see if you can get this last one!” Dio called out. “Don’t disappoint me now!!!” The wheel spun one last time and it landed on mini. When a gigantic green dragon appeared, Maggie feared for what a miniaturized Sephiroth would be able to do, but just as with the toad spell, it had no effect on Sephiroth.  </p>
<p>Leaping into the air, Sephiroth swung his blade far away from the monster. “What is he...” Dio started and then giggled, “Hoo boy!” as a line of light extended from where Sephiroth had swung and rushed towards the dragon. The energy from that swing ended the dragon in a burst of light, and the arena behind where the dragon stood crumbled to the ground. Sephiroth grimaced— he hadn’t meant to cause that much damage— but took no worry as he heard Dio cheering and catcalling from the stands. He looked up and saw Maggie smiling at him playfully.  </p>
<p>As Dio stood with Sephiroth and Maggie, the staff rushed around trying to call in people to repair the arena and fretting over Dio. Dio just laughed and said, “Just tell people we’re closed for renovations, no need to make a big deal out of it.” He looked to Sephiroth. “That was indeed entertaining, my boy! Ask me what you will.”  </p>
<p>Sephiroth waited as a few staff members ran off to relay Dio’s instructions. “I am looking for a black materia. I know you have a vast collection of all sorts of things— have you heard of it?”  </p>
<p>Dio shook his head. “I haven’t, I’m afraid, but it piques my interest. Why do you ask?” </p>
<p>“They’re rare and new on the market,” Sephiroth lied. “That’s why I figured you would have one.”  </p>
<p>“Well, it is definitely something I’ll have my eye out for now.” He looked over the two of them. “Since, I was not able to help you, and you did provide me with some great entertainment, why don’t the two of you have a night on the house and a meal too?”  </p>
<p>Sephiroth bowed his head respectfully. “That is generous of you, but I have already taken up your valuable time.”  </p>
<p>“Nonsense, boy!” Dio reached out and grasped Sephiroth’s hand in a firm shake. “I wholeheartedly insist.” Dio’s eyes followed Sephiroth’s hand as he let it go. “Interesting tattoo you have there,” he mentioned. “Must be because you’re number one!” Dio laughed and sent them on their way before any more could be said.  </p>
<p>Maggie held on to Sephiroth’s arm as they exited the Battle Square. He had a concerned look on his face. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, he put his coat back on, but paused before putting on his gloves. He stared at the tattoo on his hand. They still were not any closer to answers.  </p>
<p>Maggie, in hopes of pulling him from that dark place, grabbed his hand and said, “Hey, you know what?” Sephiroth looked at her as she continued. “We’ve been through a lot of hell this week, and there is probably more hell to come, so …” she paused momentarily, “how about, just for tonight, let’s pretend none of that exists.” </p>
<p>Sephiroth cocked his head to the side slightly, not sure what she was implying.  </p>
<p>“Well,” she blushed, “we’ve been given a free dinner and a night to sleep on an actual bed, how about we pretend that we’re just a normal couple,” Maggie felt her stomach drop and she finished, “out on a date?”   </p>
<p>He didn’t react immediately, so she panicked. “I mean, not that we’re dating or that I feel that way about you, per se, I just meant for pretend, you know?” she stammered and looked away from him. She felt hot and stupid. <em> Why did I even say that!? </em>  </p>
<p>Sephiroth felt that longing inside him build up and, although it was something he had run from before, he welcomed it now. He thought fondly of Maggie cheering him on in the arena, challenging him. Given their situation and the opportunity, he felt it was something he didn’t want to miss. He grabbed Maggie’s chin and turned her face back to look at him. “That actually sounds nice,” he told her.  </p>
<p>Maggie thought her legs might fail her again. “Oh,” she said, surprised, and then smiled weakly. “That’s good.”  </p>
<p>“But why don’t we check in to the hotel first? I think we both could do with a clean-up, but you are particularly messy,” Sephiroth said with a teasing smile and Maggie flushed red all over again. <em> How could I have asked him (more or less) out looking like this? Smelling like who knows what!?  </em>He just laughed at her and lead her to the slide that would take them to the hotel.  </p>
<p>It was not what Maggie had been expecting. The hotel was themed like a haunted house, complete with spooky sounds and eerily-dressed employees. They walked up to the front desk and Maggie nearly jumped out of her skin when a hangman dropped from above. Sephiroth hadn’t even flinched; he just relayed what Dio had told him to say and the employee handed him a room key. Maggie stared at the rope; the hangman really did seem to be hanging from the ceiling, but she knew it had to be a trick. Sephiroth gently coaxed her towards the stairs.  </p>
<p>Maggie sighed as they entered the room. “Not exactly cozy.” She frowned.  </p>
<p>“Yes,” Sephiroth apparently found her discomforting amusing, “but,” he opened the door to the bathroom, “it does have a shower.”  </p>
<p>Maggie did all she could to shove Sephiroth out of the way (which didn’t amount to much), and quickly shut the door behind her and locked it. The shower felt AMAZING. It took her a while to untangle her hair, but she relished each moment of warm water pouring over her body.  </p>
<p>Once she was clean, she dug in her pack for a change of clothes. She was extremely thankful they had taken the time to stop by her apartment. She looked through the couple outfits she had packed and frowned. <em> Not really date worthy.  </em>Just as she was about to settle on a t-shirt and jeans, she heard a knock at the hotel room door. She heard Sephiroth open it and exchange a quick conversation before the door closed again. There was another knock, but this time on the bathroom door.  </p>
<p>“Seems Dio thought you needed a new outfit,” Maggie heard Sephiroth say. She wrapped a towel around herself and opened the door just enough to stick her hand out. When she brought her hand back in, it held a beautiful, midnight-blue cocktail dress. It was made out of a stretchy material, so it would be able to contour to her features nicely. She put it on and looked in the mirror. <em> Well, now my face looks plain.  </em> Makeup was not something she had thought essential to pack. She blew her hair dry and then looked in the mirror again.  <em> A little sexier than I’m used to,  </em> she thought, feeling a little blood rush to her face,  <em> but it’s a special occasion, right? And without makeup it’s tamer...  </em>Satisfied, she exited the bathroom.  </p>
<p>Sephiroth had seen Maggie in a few different outfits since they had first met: white shorts and a t-shirt, someone else’s clothes that didn’t fit, and a tattered Shinra uniform. This one put her in an entirely different light. Clean and shining golden hair cascaded over her shoulders and framed her –Sephiroth caught himself and corrected his thinking– curves. The dress had a slight v-neck and showed, well, more than he had seen from her before. The shimmering fabric hung around her waist and hugged her hips before stopping just above her knees.  </p>
<p>“Does it look okay?” she asked him, feeling awkward.  </p>
<p>Sephiroth coughed and averted his gaze. “It does,” he answered.   </p>
<p>“It’s a shame I don’t have any shoes to go with it,” she said, frowning. “All I have are my normal walking shoes and the boots that went with the uniform.” Sephiroth watched her walk over to where her shoes were and bend over to pick up the black boots. He averted his gaze again.  </p>
<p>“I guess these will have to do.” She sat down on a bed to put them on. After she finished lacing up one boot, she looked at Sephiroth. “Seems unfair that you don’t get to dress up too.”  </p>
<p>“You don’t like my normal outfit?” he asked, still avoiding her gaze. Maggie looked him up and down.  </p>
<p>“Well, it does make my boots seem less out of place,” she laughed, “and yes, you do wear it well.” She finished lacing the other boot and sat up abruptly. “Oh! You would probably like a shower too! You go ahead, I don’t mind waiting.”  </p>
<p>Maggie laid down and enjoyed the fluffiness of the bed while Sephiroth showered. <em> None of this feels real; it’s just too nice given all that’s happened. </em>  She listened to the sound of water falling in the shower, and then the thought of a naked Sephiroth flashed through her mind, and she felt herself blush.  <em> Hormones, SHUSH.  </em> She tried to think of something else, but then stopped fighting it so vehemently.  <em> Maybe, just for tonight, I’ll indulge in such thoughts. It is a date, so, attraction is desired. Yes, that seems reasonable.  </em>She wondered if Sephiroth had indulged in any similar thoughts about her.  </p>
<p>Sephiroth emerged from the shower clothed and hair dried. He noted the rosy color of Maggie’s cheeks and brightness of her lips, and found himself swallowing. Their eyes locked for a moment and Sephiroth found himself not wanting to go out at all as electricity shot through his body. He wanted to caress those golden locks, and just be close to her. He, however, fought the urge and said, “Shall we?”  </p>
<p>She jumped off the bed and asked, “Where to?” </p>
<p>“Dio recommended the bistro overlooking the chocobo race track— I thought you might like it as well.”  </p>
<p>“A bistro sounds nice, and it will be fun to see more chocobos.” She smiled and walked over to him. Sephiroth wondered if she had always swung her hips so much when she walked.<em> Wasn’t she unable to walk only an hour before? </em> She seemed to be doing just fine now. He offered his arm, and they left the hotel and headed for the Chocobo Square.  </p>
<p>The Chocobo Square was noisy with people watching screens and cheering for their birds to win. There was a betting booth and an area to exchange winning tickets for items. Like everywhere else here, there were tons of flashing lights and colorful décor. Sephiroth led Maggie past all that into an area with tall purple columns and matching flooring, where there sat a small bistro behind glass doors called “Le Chocobo Bistro.”  </p>
<p>They entered and the hostess asked, “Table for two?” They nodded and were soon seated in the back near the windows. From there, they could see almost the entirety of the tracks, but none of the sound came through. Maggie appreciated leaving the noise behind. The bistro itself was very modern and sleek. Small golden chocobos could be seen throughout the place, but overall, the decorations were much more muted than of those outside.  </p>
<p>“Now, this is a nice setting,” Maggie commented. Sephiroth nodded in agreement. They looked over their menus and selected some drinks, along with an appetizer. As the waitress walked away to put in their orders, Sephiroth looked at Maggie and began to feel awkward. <em> I should probably say something, right? </em>  </p>
<p>Before he could think of something to say, Maggie leaned forward, resting her chin in her hands and smiled at him. “Do you know how long it’s been since I went out anywhere nice?” He tried to guess, but she answered her own question. “FOREVER!” she exclaimed a little too loudly. “I worked all the time, I never went out, I never did fun things.”  </p>
<p>“Sounds familiar to me,” Sephiroth responded.  </p>
<p>“So, were you also a workaholic or did they just never give you the time off?” She looked at him with eyes full of interest.  </p>
<p>“There were breaks, but being social was never something Shinra factored as a priority in my life. Most of my time was spent training.” Sephiroth seemed somber about it, but Maggie enjoyed the mental image of Sephiroth working out. </p>
<p>“How did you like training?”  </p>
<p>“Well enough, I suppose. There is a certain art to it.”  </p>
<p>“I thought that might be the case,” she smiled at him playfully. “My first impression was that fighting was all business for you, but the arena showed me otherwise. I think you might actually like showing off your abilities.”  </p>
<p>Sephiroth sat back a little, slightly embarrassed. He wasn’t used to this kind of attention... to his face, anyway. He wasn’t sure how to respond. She must have noticed his discomfort because she also sat back and averted her gaze. “I mean, I don’t think there is anything wrong with that,” Maggie said as she brushed some hair back behind her ear. “You are the best, so you should be proud, and I had fun watching you have fun.”  </p>
<p>He thought about that for a moment. <em> I was having fun? </em> There hadn't been many moments in his past to enjoy fighting, but, getting stronger over time... It was the one thing he had been able to pour himself into, and Maggie liked that?  </p>
<p>“So, what do you do for fun?” he asked her. Maggie frowned at that.  </p>
<p>“Well, I have things I would do for fun, but never really got to. So, I have fun keeping things in order; filling out timecards and making schedules, that sort of stuff.” Her frowned turned to a look of distaste. “Not nearly as exciting, I’m sure.”  </p>
<p>Maggie observed that this conversation had somehow become a battle. One moment she had him against the ropes, but she had left an opening, and now he had taken command. She felt herself shrink back from his intense gaze.  </p>
<p>“What would you have done if you could?”   </p>
<p>She saw an opening to take back control of the conversation and jumped on it. “I’ll tell you, but only if you also tell me a secret about you.”  </p>
<p>He smiled at her questioningly. “What you would have done for fun is a secret?”  </p>
<p>“Well, I’ve never told anyone, so yes.” Sephiroth looked at her skeptically, but he could see that she wasn’t going to budge.  </p>
<p>“Fine,” he agreed.  </p>
<p>“It’s got to be something good!” Maggie warned. Just then, the waitress came back with their drinks and appetizer, and they realized that they had failed to look through the menu and decide what they wanted for dinner.  </p>
<p>“We’ll just need a moment more,” Sephiroth told the waitress.  </p>
<p>They looked through the menus, Maggie asking several times what he thought of this or that. She proposed they get a few things to try, and then share. “When are we going to eat this good again?” she pointed out. Finally, they decided and called the waitress over to make their order.  </p>
<p>“I think you’re already having fun,” Sephiroth observed.  </p>
<p>“Well, yeah!” she smiled broadly, almost giddy. Sephiroth smiled back at her in spite of himself. </p>
<p>“So, what would you have done for fun if you ever got the chance?”  </p>
<p>“Okay,” Maggie said sheepishly, “don’t laugh, but I’ve always wanted to dance. I mean, I would dance... by myself... in my apartment, but that’s not really the same as fancy ballroom dancing. Besides, I’ve never had anyone to dance with.”  </p>
<p>Sephiroth leaned in close to Maggie. “I’ve got the perfect secret to share, then.” Maggie looked at him with twinkling eyes. “I actually know how to ballroom dance.”  </p>
<p>Maggie’s jaw dropped. “What? Really?”  </p>
<p>He sat back from her. “I’m no master by any means, but there are some perks to memorizing patterns and the body frame that goes with it. It wasn’t a big focus in my training, but it has its uses.”  </p>
<p>Maggie thought back to how gracefully he moved in battle; she was flabbergasted. “So, did you do other forms of dance too?” She tried to imagine Sephiroth in a black leotard doing ballet and brought her hands up to her face with delight.  </p>
<p>“Flexibility and balance are important,” was the only hint he gave her.  </p>
<p>The conversation flowed naturally from there: they talked about which kinds of ballroom dances they liked and he told her some stories from past missions, the war, and times with his comrades. She laughed as he talked about his old friends. They had been quite the characters. Maggie shared about office life, the struggle of managing employees, and of all the places she had once dreamed of visiting. They also watched a few races and placed meaningless bets as to who would win. </p>
<p>When their food came, they were pleasantly surprised with the quality, and did in fact take turns trying and sharing dishes. Maggie was even more excited when it came to dessert. She savored each bite and hummed with delight. Sephiroth let her have his dessert. </p>
<p>“No, I can’t! You make me feel like a pig!” she said, taking the dessert, clearly having no real objection to the prospect.  </p>
<p>“I imagine you’ll enjoy it more than I would,” he said, eyeing her with amusement.  </p>
<p>Once dinner was done, they headed out into the Chocobo Square. It was still plenty noisy there, and starting to get late, so they decided to look and see what else was open. They went through the list of remaining areas: Wonder, Speed, Event, Round. It was hard to decide.  </p>
<p>“Well, we just ate a big meal, so the roller coaster is probably out,” Maggie said as they passed the Speed Square exit.  </p>
<p>“We could see what’s playing at the stage,” Sephiroth suggested as they approached the exit for the Event Square.  </p>
<p>Maggie shot that down as well. “Nah, I want to be able to keep talking.” She eyed the Wonder Square and then smiled playfully. “Ooo! Let’s try a couple games and then finish the night off with the Round.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him over that way. Jumping into the tube, she let out a whoop of delight. There was a small pang of pain in her side, but overall, she felt remarkably better. Sephiroth followed close behind.  </p>
<p>The selection of games in the Wonder Square didn’t end up piquing too much of their interest: anything strength-based was sure to be dull for Sephiroth, the submarine game seemed slow and tedious, and Maggie didn’t feel properly dressed for the snowboarding game.  </p>
<p>“You want to try the motorcycle game?” she asked Sephiroth.  </p>
<p>“Nah,” he said with a shrug.  </p>
<p>“Oh! How about this one? It looks like a puzzle game,” Maggie said, pointing to a game in the shape of a giant moogle called “Mog House.”  </p>
<p>“Why not?” he said, and they walked over to it. Maggie tried it first. It was about a little moogle named Mog that wanted to learn how to fly so he could impress a mate. You had to feed him the right number of kupo nuts so he would be successful. Apparently, Maggie was no good at the game. “Here, let me try.” Sephiroth bumped her aside with his shoulder and tried it himself. <em> How hard can this be? </em> He, too, failed to figure out what was necessary.  </p>
<p>“This game is stupid,” he said, turning away from it.  </p>
<p>Maggie agreed, sighing, “Yeah, let’s head to the Round.”  </p>
<p>They left Wonder Square feeling a little disappointed, but looking forward to the next activity. The Round would take them on a slow ride where they could view the resort in its entirety.  Climbing into the little wooden box, they sat across from each other so they could both see out the window.  </p>
<p>As the ride started forward, Maggie leaned towards Sephiroth and asked, “You know what I wish?”  </p>
<p>Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.  </p>
<p>“I wish we had met 5 years ago. Then we could have had lots of dates like this. We could have quit Shinra and come to work here. You could have made money off the arena and I’m sure I could have gotten a desk job.”  </p>
<p>“That’s a nice sentiment,” he said with no real enthusiasm, “but it probably wouldn’t have worked that way.”  </p>
<p>Maggie frowned. “No, I suppose not. Shinra never was going to let you quit, and they were probably going to do whatever they did to me sooner or later.” Reality was setting back in. The date had been a nice distraction, but she knew it was never meant to last. “So, where do we go from here?”  </p>
<p>“I’m not sure in regards to the black materia, but,” Sephiroth paused, thinking, “we’re not far from where my last mission was scheduled: Nibelheim.”  </p>
<p>“Maybe we’ll find something there,” Maggie said, nodding. They looked out the window as they passed the different squares, lights flashing and cheerful music playing. There was a sad feeling hanging over them and Maggie decided this was not how she wanted the night to end. She switched sides and sat next to Sephiroth. </p>
<p>“You won’t be able to see from there,” he commented.  </p>
<p>“I don’t care,” she said. “Just let me have this.” She leaned into him and rested her head against his shoulder. He adjusted and put his arm around her so her head instead rested against his chest. Somehow, every interaction had become so natural. Everything about her felt right, like she had always been there and that’s where she belonged. They finished the ride in silence, simply enjoying the embrace.  </p>
<p>It felt sad to return to the hotel and for the night to end, but Maggie could feel the magic fading. They went into the room and Maggie took off the boots. The dress was soft and stretchy so she decided to just sleep in it. Before she climbed into bed, Sephiroth reached out and grabbed her hand.  </p>
<p>“One more thing,” he said, and she noticed a slightly unsure expression cross his face. “It has been a while, so bear with me.” She looked at him curiously as he pulled her close and placed his right hand on her left shoulder blade, and lifted her right hand up with his left. It wasn’t anything fancy, especially in the limited space of the hotel room, but he danced her around the room in what felt like a romantic fairytale to Maggie. She ended up having to stand on his boots since she didn’t know what to do, but it was one last moment of magic, and it made her extremely grateful.  </p>
<p>She looked up at him. “I wish everything was different. I wish this could be our lives,” she whispered.  </p>
<p>“I never knew something like this could exist,” he whispered back in a low rumble. Neither one of them fought as their lips gently met. Neither one denied what they felt, what they wanted. They didn’t know what to call it; it was beautiful and yet sad. There was no time, there was no place, just this moment.  </p>
<p>Sephiroth wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. Maggie in turn wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his silky silver hair.  He broke the kiss momentarily and then kissed her again more firmly. They held each other a moment longer, letting everything else slip away, and then slowly let go.  </p>
<p>Maggie’s cheeks were again flushed and she coughed a little. “That was a really good date,” she told him as she ran her hands down his arms. It, unfortunately, all felt bittersweet instead of exciting. She hadn’t expected to feel so much for him. These feelings were supposed to get quieter and fade away, but now she wanted something she highly doubted could ever come to pass.  </p>
<p>“Goodnight,” she told him sadly as she went to lie down.  </p>
<p>“Goodnight,” Sephiroth responded, feeling lost. He went over to a different bed and lay down. It had indeed been a nice distraction, but in the end, that’s all it could ever be.  Still, to be allowed even one moment of happiness such as this didn’t leave him with any feelings of regret.  </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Maggie woke up the next morning with not even the slightest pain in her side. As she opened her eyes, she looked over to see that Sephiroth had already gotten up and was not in the room. She panicked a little. <em> Did he leave again?  </em>She tried to push it from her mind as she went to the restroom to change out of the blue dress and into more practical clothes.  </p>
<p>As she undressed, she saw the wound was completely healed. Not even a mark. No evidence that it had ever existed. <em> Strange, but then... there is also no evidence of the shrapnel from the explosion either.  </em>She changed into some jeans and a t-shirt.  </p>
<p>Maggie exited the restroom and started packing her things. She wasn’t sure how far Nibelheim was, but she knew they wouldn’t be spending any more time here than was absolutely necessary.  She was just deciding on the black boots again (they were more durable than her normal walking shoes and fit well enough) when Sephiroth came back into the room holding several different breakfast items. She let out a sigh of relief.  </p>
<p>“Something wrong?” he asked her.  </p>
<p>“No,” she said, smiling. “Are you sharing?”  </p>
<p>He passed a muffin over to her. “You think I wouldn’t?”  </p>
<p>“Well, it’s rude to assume.” She took the muffin from him gratefully and his lips spread into a small smile. <em> His lips were so soft,  </em> Maggie recalled. She quickly turned and sat on the bed and began to eat the muffin.  <em> I guess I should just pretend like last night never happened...  </em> </p>
<p>His words flashed through her mind: <em> “I never knew something like this could exist.” </em>  Maggie felt herself get a little teary-eyed.  <em> In our reality, it can’t.  </em> </p>
<p>Sephiroth could sense Maggie’s discomfort, but had no idea what to do about it. Instead, he just said, “I wasn’t sure what all you would like, so I got a little of everything.” He set the rest down on the nightstand and picked out a few items for himself.  </p>
<p>“Thanks,” she said, “I appreciate it.” She took another bite and swallowed before setting the muffin down. “Hey, I want to show you something, but don't get too excited.” Sephiroth looked at her questioningly and she grasped the edge of her shirt. He felt a rush of heat flash through him as she lifted her shirt, but she stopped just before her breasts, and he saw nothing but perfect and flawless porcelain skin.  </p>
<p>“That’s probably not normal, right?” Maggie said with a tone of worry.  </p>
<p>“It’s completely healed,” Sephiroth said, astounded. Maggie pulled her shirt back down and looked at him.  </p>
<p>“Do you... do you heal like this too?”  </p>
<p>Sephiroth nodded. “I do.”  </p>
<p>“Do you know why?” </p>
<p>“Because of my mother, Jenova, who was an ancient. Mako probably has something to do with it, too.”  </p>
<p>Maggie paced a little, trying to fit the pieces together. “Both our mothers are dead, and yours died before mine, so we can’t be related, but there has to be some connection or similarity. Maybe mako, somehow?”  </p>
<p>Sephiroth stood up and put a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t know, but hopefully we’ll find out something in Nibelheim.” Maggie nodded— no point in speculating now.  </p>
<p>They finished eating, packed up, and made sure to stock up on supplies before heading out. As they sat on the railcar back to the ground, Maggie watched sadly as the resort— the dream— faded away. Sephiroth seemed somehow more distant and yet more comfortable at the same time. He didn’t do anything that in any way rekindled emotions from the night before, and yet he sat close to her, as if that was where he belonged.  </p>
<p>When they got to the ground and outside the town, they found a buggy waiting for them there. “One last surprise from Dio,” Sephiroth commented. It made the trip surprisingly short, but Maggie was grateful to not have to walk. They crossed over a river and into a beautiful, red, rocky landscape. They saw a town built into a plateau that, on an ordinary day, she would have loved to visit, but there were more important matters to attend to. <em> It feels like something is coming, and I’m not sure if I should be afraid,  </em> Maggie thought <em> .  </em>She leaned into Sephiroth, who was sitting beside her. He didn’t move. As they left behind the red rocks and stony cliffsides, he spoke.  </p>
<p>“The mission was to investigate an old reactor. There had been reports of malfunction and brutal creatures being produced. Our job was to dispose of the creatures and neutralize the problem.”  </p>
<p>In the distance, they could see the gray, spiny mountains of the Nibel area. There was something haunting and chilling about them. Maggie grabbed Sephiroth’s hand. “We’ll find out, together.” He gently returned her grip.  </p>
<p>They reached the outskirts of the small village and thanked the buggy driver for the lift before getting off. The buggy drove away, leaving them to stare at simple white houses with brown trim. There were people around, but the town was quiet. It seemed very ordinary.  </p>
<p>“Well, I’m not sure what I expected,” Maggie said, “but it wasn’t this.”  </p>
<p>“It’s familiar,” Sephiroth stated. “Like I’ve been here before... but very long ago.” He walked forward into the center of town, and looked over at a large building that was gray and very aged. “What is this place?”  </p>
<p>Maggie looked around, and asked a couple of nearby townsfolk about the building. “Oh, that’s the old Shinra Mansion,” they said. “Been empty for years. Some say it’s haunted.” Maggie thanked them for the info and they continued walking. Sephiroth was still staring at the structure.  </p>
<p>“Seems like a good place to start,” Maggie said, feeling uneasy. Sephiroth nodded and strode towards it. She followed close behind, but they both stopped when they heard a chilling voice call out, “Wooo---oooow... the... great... Sephiroth.”  </p>
<p>Turning, they saw a man in a black cape reaching out and hobbling towards them. He continued, “The Reunion...” Before he could reach them, he fell to the ground, convulsing slightly. There, on his arm, was a numbered tattoo. Sephiroth took off his glove and looked at his hand: the font was the same. He knelt down by the man and asked, “Who are you?”  </p>
<p>“Oh, great Sephiroth.” The black-caped man smiled and looked around as if seeing something they could not. “Great Sephiroth...”  </p>
<p>Maggie felt a pit forming in her stomach. <b> REUNION </b> . There was that word again.  <em> What did it mean? What would be reunited? </em> “Should we help him?” Maggie asked.  </p>
<p>The man in the cape looked abruptly at Sephiroth and said with perfect clarity, “Go. See for yourself. Inside the mansion.”  After that, he got up and moved unsteadily away from them, muttering, “Great Sephiroth,” over and over.  </p>
<p>They turned and looked back at the mansion. It had a dark, looming feeling, and Maggie hated that this was probably the place that held answers for them.  Sephiroth’s face was grim, but he took Maggie’s hand and led her in. “Together,” was all he said.  </p>
<p>The mansion had indeed clearly been abandoned long ago, but it was still furnished, as if the owners had simply vanished rather than moved. Dust blanketed the floor and fixtures. A heavy feeling of “wrong” weighed down on them.  They both looked around, not sure what they were looking for. A quick investigation of the lower floor yielded nothing, so they moved upstairs. There were several bedrooms. Sephiroth paused in each one as if remembering something, but said nothing. It wasn’t until the last room that he approached a round section of wall made of stone and pushed on it. It swung open, revealing a winding section of wooden planks that lead far beneath the mansion.  </p>
<p>“How did you—?” Maggie asked.  </p>
<p>“I don’t know,” Sephiroth responded. They walked down the planks until they reached a dark tunnel with a purple hue. They proceeded in reverence; Maggie carefully observing their surroundings, Sephiroth walking as if in a dream. “Why is everything so familiar? I’ve never been here before... have I?”  </p>
<p>They walked by a wooden door to their left, but when Maggie motioned towards it, Sephiroth shook his head. “No, it’s this way. I can feel it.” They walked down to the end of the hallway and found themselves in a decent sized library. It was dark.  Maggie found a light switch and flicked it on. The light revealed it wasn’t just a library. On the far side of the room, they saw giant tubes, very similar to the ones they had been held in back in Midgar.  </p>
<p>“What is this place?” Maggie asked. There were books piled everywhere, as if someone had been searching for something, but the layer of dust on top of them suggested that they had not been touched in quite some time.  </p>
<p>Sephiroth picked up a book and flicked through it. It didn’t take him long before he paused. “Professor Gast...”  </p>
<p>“Who?” Maggie inquired.  </p>
<p>“A brilliant Shinra scientist that I used to know, but he died when I was young.” Sephiroth looked around the room. “Is this where he conducted his research?” </p>
<p>Maggie felt unsettled. <em> Is this really where we’ll find our answers? If so, do I really want to know?  </em> </p>
<p>Sephiroth was already flipping back through the book more thoroughly. Maggie found her will and walked further into the room. She saw that it wrapped around into a hallway that led to an area with a desk and more books. The hallway was filled with stacks of them. She picked up a book from the floor, dusted it off, and opened it.   </p>
<p>“The JENOVA Project,” she read aloud. Maggie heard a book close behind her and footsteps following. She felt Sephiroth looking over her shoulder. She looked up at him. “Wasn’t that your mother’s name?”  </p>
<p>“It was,” he answered with a look of concern.  </p>
<p>Maggie read on: “Project Head: Professor Gast. Assistants: Professor Hojo and Professor Lucrecia. After discovering a being in a 2000-year-old geological stratum, the research we have conducted has led us to believe that the being is an Ancient. We have named this being JENOVA.”  </p>
<p>Maggie scoffed, “Well, no way that could be your mom, right?”  </p>
<p>“But it does say she is an Ancient,” Sephiroth grimly pointed out.  </p>
<p>Maggie looked at him skeptically. “But that doesn’t make any sense— how could someone be alive after 2000 years, let alone birth a child?”  </p>
<p>They read on. There were so many notes to go over, so many experiments: confirming JENOVA’s abilities, describing her inhuman-like qualities, and hypotheses for how she might bring Shinra to the Promised Land. When they finished one book, they had to search to find the next in the sequence. The professors had wanted to create more of the Ancients, seeing as JENOVA was dormant. That’s when they found what they were looking for... the method used to create an Ancient, and the result of it: Sephiroth.  </p>
<p>They were both sitting on the ground together when they found the passage describing Sephiroth's origins. “So, Jenova isn’t really your Mom...” Maggie said, “at least not in the traditional way. She... she doesn’t even sound...”  </p>
<p>“Human,” Sephiroth finished for her. Maggie felt a sickening pit form in her stomach. “I had always known I was special...” he said numbly, “...different than the others, but not like this.”  </p>
<p>“Well,” Maggie said, “different, yes, but not un-human. I mean, look here!” She turned back to a passage they had read earlier. “See, this woman here: she’s your real mother.” There was a picture of Professor Lucrecia, the woman who had been pregnant with Sephiroth and had injected her own body with JENOVA cells throughout. “Jenova only gets partial credit. I mean, look how much you look like Lucrecia.” Although the picture was black and white, the resemblance was uncanny. “You had a beautiful mother,” Maggie said.  </p>
<p>“Who I killed,” Sephiroth said darkly. “She gave birth to me, and it killed her.”  </p>
<p>Maggie turned and put a hand on Sephiroth’s arm. “That’s not fair,” she said. “There is always a risk that might happen, even in normal circumstances. My mother died the...” Maggie paused for a moment, “... the same way, if you recall.” She thought back through recent events: unheard-of strength in moments of anger, surviving a reactor blast, the feeling of something alien inside her, and the miraculous recovery from a grave injury. She thought of Sephiroth’s own inhuman abilities.  </p>
<p>“Maybe neither of us are completely human,” she commented. </p>
<p>Sephiroth’s mouth turned into sickened grimace. “I know I’m not. You saw who my father is.”  </p>
<p>Maggie had, but had hoped to avoid the subject. “Yes, Hojo,” she said sadly. “I imagine that is rather disappointing to learn. I don’t suppose he was much of a father to you growing up, eh?”   </p>
<p>“Nothing but a project to him, like everything else. Professor Gast was more of a father to me than anyone else.”  </p>
<p>“What was he like?” Maggie asked.  </p>
<p>“Now, he was a true scientist.” Sephiroth smiled sadly. “He wanted to find the truth, discover new things for the betterment of mankind. He... he used to tell me I was meant for something great, but I can’t imagine he meant something like this... He knew and never told me.” Sephiroth shook his head and rubbed his face with his hand. “This is it? This is why I was born? Shinra’s dog before I was even conceived.”   </p>
<p>"Well, what does it change?” she asked him. “Do you feel like a new person now?”   </p>
<p>“Nothing, and no.”  </p>
<p>“You are what you are,” she said, “and Shinra is what it is,” she turned his face towards her, “and you are so much more than what they made you to be.”  </p>
<p>He looked into her eyes, and where he felt hollow, she made him feel full. “I... don’t know how I would view this without you,” he said honestly.  </p>
<p>“Probably horribly,” she said, laughing. “I mean, it’s all so hard to believe. If we hadn’t experienced all we have recently, I probably wouldn’t believe it.” Maggie leaned against Sephiroth and sighed. “Although, it definitely reinforces that Shinra needs to be stopped. If this library is full of records of different experiments, how many more are there back in Midgar and in the other reactors all over the world? How many have suffered worse fates than us?”  </p>
<p>Sephiroth nodded. “Let’s see what else we can find on the Ancients. Maybe we’ll find something about the black materia.”  </p>
<p>“And maybe something about me, but I don’t think I can read any more today,” Maggie said, rubbing her eyes. “It has already been hours.”  </p>
<p>“Alright, let’s head to the inn.” Sephiroth stood up, and then helped her up as well. They walked out of the mansion, and Maggie wondered if what they found was supposed to have been more impactful. The strange encounter before they entered the mansion had seemed so ominous. It wasn’t that what they had found out wasn’t alarming, twisted, or wrong, but it felt more like fitting the pieces of the puzzle together with a small, but certain, sense of satisfaction rather than dread. However, she frowned when she went through the list of remaining unanswered questions in her head.  </p>
<p>As they walked to the inn, Maggie looked around at the small, quiet town. According to Sephiroth, five years ago there had been frequent monster attacks. <em> Had someone else taken care of it since Sephiroth wasn’t able to? What had happened? </em> The information she and Sephiroth had found was unexpected, but she thought they would have also found some answers as to what had happened here five years ago. They walked into the inn and before Sephiroth could speak, she asked the innkeeper, “If I may ask, how long have you lived here?”  </p>
<p>He looked at her, puzzled by the question, and answered, “My whole life. Why do you ask?”  </p>
<p>Maggie smiled. “Great! Do you recall a time five years ago when the reactor was having issues and monster attacks were a problem?”  </p>
<p>The innkeeper grimaced and looked at her like she was crazy. “I have no recollection of that.”  </p>
<p>Maggie frowned, “Oh. Really? I figured it would have been somewhat memorable.” </p>
<p>“Things like that aren’t funny to joke about, miss,” the innkeeper said with a glare.  </p>
<p>“But, why would I—” </p>
<p>“You’re mistaken,” Sephiroth interjected, putting an arm in front of her to silence her. Maggie looked up at him in annoyance. “We’d like a room, please,” Sephiroth requested.  </p>
<p>The innkeeper nodded and handed them a room key. “Enjoy your stay.”  </p>
<p>When they got into the room, Maggie turned hotly towards Sephiroth. “What was that about?” she asked angrily. “I was just asking him some simple questions.”  </p>
<p>“And he was getting hostile,” Sephiroth answered.  </p>
<p>“But why would he?”  </p>
<p>“I don’t know,” Sephiroth sat down on one of the beds, “but something is not right here. I could feel it before we went into the mansion, and I still feel it now.”  </p>
<p>Maggie took a breath to calm herself. She could feel it too. There was an unexplainable heaviness to this place. She sat down on the bed across from Sephiroth and looked in her pack to pick out some food for them both. When she offered some to Sephiroth, he refused, shaking his head.  </p>
<p>“I don’t have much of an appetite,” he said.  </p>
<p>“Not eating won’t make things any better,” Maggie said with a commanding tone. “If anything, it will make things worse.” She offered the ration again. He took it this time and gave her a slight smile. She smiled back at him warmly, and then turned her attention to eating and reflecting. Their research had given them a lot to process that day, but somehow everything was in a much better perspective than she would have expected. She smiled again, remembering something she said to him after escaping Midgar. </p>
<p>“It really is easier,” she looked at Sephiroth, full of adoration, “facing these things together rather than alone.”  </p>
<p>He felt a surge of warmth go through his chest as he recalled the conversation. Back then, he had been trying to comfort her, but today, she was the one who had helped him face the horrific truth about himself. She had been there to shed a different light on the matter, and to accept him as he was. He thought of their kiss the night before. As she sat there now, he hungered for her. He wanted to kiss her, to hold her, and to not face another day or another worry. He wanted to lose himself in her.  </p>
<p>He glanced away from her and replied, “I suppose.” They finished their meals and then climbed into their respective beds; tomorrow was sure to be another day full of research and more unsettling truths, and rest was sure to help.  </p>
<p>Maggie was thankful that they were able to sleep another night in beds rather than on the ground. She stared at Sephiroth as he fell asleep. She tried to imagine a future for them. <em> Maybe we could make things work after stopping </em><em>Shinra</em><em>.The Gold Saucer idea doesn’t seem too bad, or maybe there are places even further out there, away from all this. I could live a simpler life.  </em> Silver hair draped Sephiroth’s angular face, and she noticed that his eyebrows were furrowed together.  <em> I guess it would be hard to sleep after a day like today.  </em>Maggie bit her lip in nervous thought and gingerly got out of bed.  </p>
<p>She walked over to where he was laying and reached out her hand. Sephiroth’s eyes opened and he watched her, but didn’t move. She kneeled next to the bed and ran her fingers through his hair, stroking his head. Maggie said nothing, but continued the motion. Sephiroth’s eyes gently closed again, his eyebrows releasing their tension. She stayed until his breathing changed to that of deep slumber, and then returned to her own bed. She looked at him once more, tempted to lie next to him, but shook her head and went to sleep.  </p>
<p>When she awoke, despite having made the opposite decision before sleeping, she found herself in the same bed as Sephiroth. She was lying on her back and he slept on his side with his arm over her waist. Maggie tried to carefully lift his arm and slide out, but Sephiroth groaned and said, “Not yet.” He pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her. He nuzzled his face against her hair and breathed deeply with content.  </p>
<p>“Okay,” Maggie replied softly, not really wanting to move anyways. She let her eyes droop closed.  </p>
<p>Sephiroth had gotten up by the next time she opened her eyes. He was standing in front of the bathroom mirror, smoothing out his hair. Maggie sat up and rubbed her face, yawning. “Sleep well?” she asked him.  </p>
<p>He paused, seeming unsure of what to say. Then he replied, “Yes.”  </p>
<p>Maggie’s face grew warm, and she wondered if his had too, but she couldn’t see his face from where she was sitting. Her heart felt happy; it all felt so natural and right. Smiling, she got up and went to join him by the mirror. She playfully bumped him with her hip to get him to make room for her. Looking at his face, she thought she did spy the slightest shade of pink. She smiled a little wider.  </p>
<p>“What?” he asked her.  </p>
<p>“Nothing,” she said, and finished grooming her hair and face. They had some breakfast and then got ready to head back into the mansion. “Alright,” Maggie said with determination, “let’s see what else we can find out.”  </p>
<p>The mansion was just as unsettling and creepy as it was the day before, but at least she knew what to expect. They made their way back to the library in the basement and split up to look through the books. Maggie thought she had seen something that might be of use, but she stopped and looked at the tubes in the room before going there. Compared to the other things in the room, they weren’t nearly as dusty. In fact, the whole area around them seemed far cleaner than the piles of books. <em> Were these being used recently?  </em>  </p>
<p>She began to look around with more diligence. The report that Sephiroth had found in Shinra Headquarters had been more recent, so if there was anything to go with it, here might be a likely place. She turned to look at the desk and went through the papers, but it all seemed to mostly be about test subjects A and B. Maggie was just about to give up when she heard Sephiroth call from the other side of library, “Here, I think I found something.”  </p>
<p>She went down the hallway, past piles of books, and found Sephiroth sitting at the desk. He was holding papers and looking them over. “The planet created the two great materias and entrusted the Ancients to protect them: the white materia and the black materia. The whereabouts of the white materia are unknown, but it is believed to have been passed down in family lines. Given the destructive nature of the black materia, it is believed that a more secure location was selected. Ancient text refers to a temple located on an island in the southern seas. Logic leads us to believe that this might be a prime location for securing this materia. Whether or not President Shinra will find this information pertinent, I cannot say, but I have sent him the preliminary findings to review.”  </p>
<p>Sephiroth pulled the report he had found at Shinra’s headquarters from his pocket. The report had mentioned what the black and white materia were, but conveniently left out anything pertaining to their location. Then he frowned, realizing who it was that had done the research: Hojo. He never did like to share anything that he didn’t deem essential to his agenda.  </p>
<p>“So, we have an idea of where to go,” Maggie said. “The Temple of the Ancients.” She frowned. “What do you think the white materia does?”  </p>
<p> “The report suggests protection and healing,” Sephiroth said, still reading it over.  </p>
<p>“That sounds like a good materia to have. Too bad we have no idea where that one is.”   </p>
<p>“What if they balance each other out?” Sephiroth mused. “One counteracts the other—” Something like lighting shot through his chest and a fierce anger burned.  </p>
<p>Maggie noticed the change in his expression and asked, “Are you alright?” She put her hand on his shoulder and she felt him ease up.  </p>
<p>“Yeah,” he answered. “Just a thought; the white materia could be problematic.”  </p>
<p>“Well, good thing no one knows where it is,” Maggie supplied, downplaying the urgency that Sephiroth felt inside. He understood her reasoning, and yet the anger in him was hard to suppress. He got up and walked down the hallway, thinking.  </p>
<p><em> T</em><em>here is something I’m missing; this rage is not my own. What happened to me five years ago? This place is familiar, but why? From my childhood? </em> He reached the other side of the library and open the door to leave. “Let’s go ask around town, Maggie,” he called to her.  </p>
<p>“Okay,” she said. “Hopefully we have better luck then I did yesterday.” She walked up and grabbed his arm. She didn’t like to be far from him as they walked through the mansion.  </p>
<p>They didn’t have any luck. Everyone had the same story: they had lived there their whole lives and knew nothing about anything ever going wrong with the reactor. On top of it all, no one seemed to know anything about the comings and goings from the mansion. Someone had clearly been there not long ago and yet no one knew anything about it. They had spent a good part of the day asking different people, and now found themselves back at the inn discussing the details.  </p>
<p>“It’s weird,” Maggie said while eating a snack. “I’m not one to believe in conspiracies, but this really feels like one. I mean, why would you have been assigned a mission to a place that never had anything wrong with it?” Then she thought of the tubes in the basement… they had been used recently. She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again.  </p>
<p>“What?” Sephiroth asked her. He was lying down on a bed across from her.  </p>
<p>She adjusted herself uncomfortably before answering. “Do... do you think that maybe you were here before you were in Midgar? Maybe you did come here, but not for a mission… Those… those tubes down there... Maybe Hojo held you here?”  </p>
<p>“That doesn’t make sense,” he answered, staring at the ceiling. “Why would they suddenly decommission me and then do nothing for five years?”  </p>
<p>“You said before that you planned to quit. Better to keep you locked up than let you walk away?”  </p>
<p>Sephiroth turned to his side and looked at her. “Only one person knew about that. Something else happened. I can feel it. I don’t know what, but something forced their hand.”  </p>
<p>“Should we go back to the library?” Maggie asked.  </p>
<p>Sephiroth shook his head. “I think we should go to the reactor.”  </p>
<p>Maggie got up to start gathering her things. “It’s in the mountains, right?”  </p>
<p>“Yes,” Sephiroth said, “but I think we should wait until tomorrow so we can get up there earlier in the day.” Maggie had looked at the mountains. They were unnatural even in the daylight. There were no trees, just twisted spines of rock and gray. She liked the idea of avoiding them at night.  </p>
<p>Looking out the window, she could see it was late afternoon: too early for sleep. Maggie went back her bed and sat down. “What should we do for now, then?”  </p>
<p>Sephiroth flopped onto his back and ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know,” he said, frustration lacing his words. Maggie got up, walked over, and sat down beside him. She was going to stroke his head like she had last night, but he sat up suddenly.  </p>
<p>“Genesis,” he said, memories flooding back. “After the war, he got ill… no, he started degrading. He could make copies of himself, but he was dying. He turned on Shinra and we had to take him down. We believed that he might have operations here in Nibelheim.”  </p>
<p>“What?” Maggie asked. “He could make copies of himself? And how could you have not gone on the mission with such an active threat?”  </p>
<p>He turned around to look at Maggie. “That’s just it: I think I did. I just don’t remember it, and neither does anyone else.”  </p>
<p>Maggie motioned for him to lie back down and positioned herself so he could rest his head in her lap. He looked dubious for a moment, but complied. She stroked his hair out of his face and asked, “So, Genesis was probably experimented on too? Do you think it involved JENOVA as well?”  </p>
<p>“Maybe,” he sighed as she started massaging his head, “but I don’t think it was Professor Gast’s project. There was another scientist involved with Genesis, Dr. Hollander, but I don’t know much more than that.”  </p>
<p>“It’s all too much,” Maggie stated. “I don’t understand why or what they were really hoping to accomplish with it all.” She looked down at Sephiroth. “At least something good came from it, or maybe even in spite of it.”  </p>
<p>At that, Sephiroth sat back up and moved closer to her, his face inches from hers. “How can you speak like that? How can you think of me that way?” Maggie could see that he was full of frustration and disbelief. </p>
<p>“Well,” she said, feeling her breath shorten, “all I have is my experience to go on, and since I met you, you have done what you felt was right. You have cared for me, and you have used all your strength to move towards your goal of stopping an evil corporation.” Maggie searched his eyes for anything she might be missing. “How could I see you as anything but good?”  </p>
<p>He gently grabbed her chin and pulled her face closer. “Where were you my whole life? It’s cruel you made me wait until now,” he teased, just before he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss from the other day had been more reserved, but this had far more hunger behind it. Maggie quivered as his mouth conquered hers and she felt fire run through her body. She tried to return the passion that she felt, but found herself melting instead. Before she collapsed, he broke away and rested his head against hers.  </p>
<p>“I guess that means you like me?” she asked breathlessly.  </p>
<p>He laughed and kissed her forehead. “I’m very glad you are here with me,” Sephiroth said in a deep tone. “Questions like, what if I’m not even human? And what if I’m a monster? ” He kissed her cheek and then whispered into her ear, “None of it matters, because you are here.”  </p>
<p>Maggie felt her heart flutter and butterflies form in her stomach. He kissed her ear, her cheek, and then her forehead again. She stammered, “Well… it’s the same for me. Nothing I find out will really matter… as long as I have you.” She looked into his eyes; those turquoise eyes mixed with the green of mako cut into her soul. “I don’t care if I ever find out at this point,” she told him. “I’m fine with whatever I am… if you are.”  </p>
<p>In reply, he kissed her again and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. She reveled in his strength and succumbed to it. Maggie was able to return the kiss with more passion this time and she felt a tear run down her face as bittersweet joy overwhelmed her. <em> How could something so beautiful come from such atrocities?  </em>She had never felt so complete and so lost at the same time. The kiss broke and she hugged him back, tucking her head under his chin. She laughed, “This is definitely not where I thought I’d be at this point in my life.” Sephiroth chuckled, returning the sentiment.  </p>
<p>They spent the rest of the evening trying to focus on other things and pass the time. Maggie had gone to the innkeeper, asked for a deck of cards, and taught Sephiroth how to play a game she had played in her youth. Once he got the hang of it, he proceeded to stomp her at it. They had another light meal from their stored rations and then got into bed. It wasn’t long, however, before Maggie got up again and snuggled in next to Sephiroth. He didn’t object.  </p>
<p>They slept in a little later than they probably should have, but neither of them worried about it. Sephiroth woke up first and looked at Maggie. She had hair stuck to her face where she had apparently drooled at some point during the night. He brushed the hair out her face to reveal rosy cheeks and lips. She slumbered contently with a slight smile on her face. It seemed a shame to wake her, but they needed to get moving.  </p>
<p>“Time to get up,” he said softly. Maggie’s smile shifted to a frown and she rolled to bury her face against his chest. He understood her reservation and found himself wishing everything else would just go away, but he knew it would not. They couldn’t stay here; they couldn’t just pretend that Shinra and the threats they caused weren’t real. There was work to be done, and they had stayed here long enough.  </p>
<p>He stroked Maggie’s hair. “Come on now. We need to get up.”   </p>
<p>Maggie groaned in annoyance, but rolled onto her back and sat up. “Just dying to go on a hike, are you?” She looked at him and saw his serious expression. <em> Yes, I suppose it is time to get back to work.  </em> </p>
<p>They packed their things and checked out. Before heading out of town, they made sure to get more supplies from the item store. They had just started out on the grassy plain towards the base of the mountain when Sephiroth paused, feeling a heavy weight in his chest. He felt an overwhelming desire to return to the mansion. Looking at Maggie, he said, “I need you to wait here.”  </p>
<p>She looked at him ludicrously. “Where are you going?”  </p>
<p>Sephiroth felt a shadow starting to overtake him, much like on the ship in Junon. “I’ll be back,” he assured her. “There is just something I need to check on.” He started to stagger away from her and she grasped his shoulder.  </p>
<p>“Sephiroth, you’re acting weird,” she said, worried.  </p>
<p>“Promise me you’ll wait here until I get back,” he said sharply before briskly shaking her off and striding away in determination.   </p>
<p>“I promise,” she answered quietly, and sat down to wait.  </p>
<p>Sephiroth headed back into Nibelheim and towards the Shinra mansion. He noticed more cloaked figures had gathered in town and looked towards him as he passed. He paid them no mind and went inside, straight to the library. He headed to the back and picked up a very particular book, as if he had already known exactly where it was. In it, he read about a large crater on the northern continent, the place where JENOVA had been discovered.   </p>
<p>His vision blurred and he put the book down. <em> A crater...meaning something— no, JENOVA— crash landed? </em> he thought.  </p>
<p><em> Mother came to redeem this planet. </em>  A voice called in Sephiroth’s head, but the voice sounded like his own. Sephiroth looked up and towards the ceiling as the voice continued,  <em> The northern crater. </em>  C <em> ome and join me, and we shall save this planet. </em>  </p>
<p>“Sephiroth!” The voice of a young man called out. Sephiroth slowly turned and saw a man with spiky blond hair and mako eyes not unlike his own. It took him a moment, but he recognized him from the boat from Junon: Cloud.  </p>
<p>Sephiroth felt the shadow consume him as a wicked smile crossed his face. “Being here brings back memories.” He cocked his head to the side and stared down the man. “Are you going to participate in the Reunion?”  </p>
<p>Cloud shifted his weight uncomfortably and yelled, “I don’t even know what a Reunion is!”   </p>
<p>“JENOVA will be at the Reunion. JENOVA will join the Reunion, becoming a calamity from the skies.” </p>
<p>“JENOVA, a calamity from the skies? You mean she wasn’t an Ancient!?” Cloud exclaimed.  </p>
<p>Sephiroth shook his head in disgust. “I see. I don’t think you have the right to participate.” He shifted and glowered, “I will go north past Mt. Nibel. If you wish to know… then follow…” </p>
<p>Cloud folded his arms in confusion. “…Reunion? Calamity from the skies?”  </p>
<p>Rising into the air and feeling his patience slip away, Sephiroth summoned forth a piece of materia from his body and threw it at the young man. It hit Cloud square in the gut and he fell to one knee. Sephiroth soared past him and out of sight.  </p>
<p>When the shadow faded, Sephiroth found himself on the ground outside the mansion. His body shook and he found it difficult to rise from the ground. He ground his teeth and got up anyways. <em> We’ve been here too long </em> <em> ,  </em> he thought.  <em> Shinra </em> <em>  can’t be far behind </em>.  </p>
<p>He limped at first, but then started to run to where he had left Maggie. To his relief, she still sat in the grass just outside of town where he had left her. He must have not looked his best, because she quickly got up and rushed to him.  </p>
<p>“Are you alright?” she asked him. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”  </p>
<p>“And maybe I have,” he answered. “But we need to move, quickly.” He grabbed her hand and they headed towards the mountains as quickly as they could manage. When Maggie started to stumble, Sephiroth picked her up.  </p>
<p>The green plains faded into rocky gray as they started the hike up towards the mako reactor. Sephiroth trusted the defined path would lead them where they needed to go. The path wound around and up until they reached a very long, very rickety-looking, bridge. It unfortunately looked like the only way to keep going up. Sephiroth stepped out cautiously and sighed with relief when it held. He went across as quickly as he could. </p>
<p>Upon reaching the top of the bridge, he could see the reactor peeking out from around the corner. He hurried to it. </p>
<p>“Are we being chased?” Maggie asked, her heart rate rising even though Sephiroth was doing all the work.  </p>
<p>“Potentially,” Sephiroth said as they reached the stairs that led into the reactor. It was much smaller than the ones in Midgar, but then, it only had to power a small village. “We should try to leave as soon as possible, but not without seeing inside.”  </p>
<p>Maggie nodded and Sephiroth set her down so that she could walk. He went first and she followed behind— who knew what would be inside? They walked directly into mako storage, an area that was usually much harder to reach; perhaps Shinra didn’t worry about this particular reactor being attacked. The next room was unlike anything Maggie had seen in the reactor she worked at. Pods with small windows were lined up in rows, leading up to a door that was labeled: JENOVA.  </p>
<p>“What is this?” Maggie asked.  </p>
<p>“Probably what was producing monsters,” Sephiroth said grimly. They looked into the pods, but they were all empty. Sephiroth went up to the door that JENOVA was supposedly behind and tried to open it, but it was locked. He felt a shock go through him and dropped to his knees. He held his head as if in pain.  </p>
<p>“Sephiroth!” Maggie ran up the stairs and leaned down next to him.  </p>
<p>Flashes of images passed through Sephiroth’s mind. A burning fire, an angry-looking Cloud, and a vaguely female-looking organism. There was a throbbing pain in his chest as he imagined a sword jamming through it. He looked down at his hand in the dream-like state and saw the head of the female organism. </p>
<p>“Mo...ther…” Sephiroth said quietly.  </p>
<p>“She’s not there anymore,” a deep voice came from below. Maggie and Sephiroth turned and saw a man in a white coat with short blond hair. “But I would have thought you knew that already.” He pulled a gun out from his pocket and pointed it at them.  </p>
<p>“Rufus,” Maggie spoke. “What are you doing here?”  </p>
<p>“Chasing down the biggest of my potential problems,” he said coolly, pulling back the hammer on the gun. “You really think we’d just let you get your hands on something like the black materia?”  </p>
<p>Sephiroth stood and turned, stepping in front of Maggie. “And you really think you’ll be able to stop me? Do you even know where to find it?”  </p>
<p>Rufus paused from pulling the trigger. “Do you?”  </p>
<p>“Would you like to know? Would you like to help me get there?” Maggie was concerned about the tone in Sephiroth’s voice: it reminded her of a cat toying with a mouse. Sephiroth slowly walked down the stairs, Maggie staying close behind, towards the President of Shinra and held out his hands as if welcoming him. “By all means, make my job easier for me… Go to the Temple of the Ancients.”  </p>
<p>Rufus pulled the trigger and fired as many rounds as he could. Sephiroth summoned his blade and deflected all of the shots, then wrapped Maggie in his right arm and surged forward locking blade against gun. Rufus wasn’t able to hold against Sephiroth’s strength, even with both arms against Sephiroth’s one. He was sent flying to the side of the room, where he hit the wall with a thud and fell to the ground.  </p>
<p>They didn’t wait to see if he got back up, and instead rushed out of the reactor. Outside was the President’s helicopter.  </p>
<p>“Well, that seems convenient,” Sephiroth said, and stalked towards it. The soldiers on board fired at them, but he effortlessly deflected those shots as well. As he approached the helicopter, Sephiroth called out, “You might want to see if your President is alright, or would you rather stand in my way?”  </p>
<p>The soldiers bailed from the helicopter and got out of the way, running around them and towards the reactor. Sephiroth climbed inside and set Maggie in the co-pilot's chair. He sat down and had the helicopter in the air before Maggie had time to ask him if he knew how.  </p>
<p>Once they were up in the air, Maggie looked down at the reactor. There wasn’t any sign of the soldiers at this point. The sound of the helicopter made it too loud to have a conversation, so instead she wondered to herself, <em> what just happened? It was like in  </em> <em> Junon </em> <em> … He wasn’t himself… so who WAS that?  </em> </p>
<p>Sephiroth stared on in determination. He tried not to think too much about what had transpired. <em> I just need to get the black </em><em>materia</em><em>,  </em> he thought, but  he couldn’t shake the foreboding feeling or the words of the shadow:  <em> T</em><em>he northern crater... come and join me. </em> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>I know things that I shouldn’t know. I’m losing myself, or maybe I was never myself to begin with. I know where we should go… but is this what I really want? Can I run from it? Can I just pretend all of this doesn’t exist? No. My destiny is not my own and the path has already been carved in stone. We must all go to the </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>
      <span>REUNION</span>
    </em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth was lying down in a tent in a small village on the northern continent. Maggie was snuggled against him. The events of the previous day played through his head like he was watching a movie. They had gone to the Temple of the Ancients. Shinra had conveniently opened the way for them. He didn’t remember where he had walked or how he got to the different rooms. Conversations, like an out-of-body experience, came back to him:</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>In the temple, he had encountered one of </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Shinra’s</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> operatives. He recognized the man, Tseng, as one of the Turks (</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Shinra’s</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> Investigation Sector of the General Affairs Department). He had long black hair and a tilak in the center of his forehead. He seemed surprised to see Sephiroth there with a </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>weapon in his hand. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Sephiroth!!” he exclaimed. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“So, you opened the door. Well done.”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> As Sephiroth spoke, he felt the words twist into something other than what he intended before they left his lips.  </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“This place... what is it?” Tseng looked around at the surrounding building and at a large mural painted on the walls. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“A lost treasure house of knowledge. The wisdom of the Ancients...”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> Sephiroth held his hands out to either side. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“I am becoming one with the Planet.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“One with the Planet?” Tseng looked genuinely confused. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sephiroth smiled and laughed. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“You stupid fools. You have never even thought about it. All the spirit energy of this Planet. All its wisdom... knowledge... I will meld with it all. I will become one with it... it will become one with me.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span> Tseng took a step back. “... You can do that?” </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Turning, Sephiroth faced Tseng. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“The way... lies here. Only death awaits you all. But do not fear,”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> Sephiroth leaped forward and slashed the Turk across the midsection, </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“for it is through death that a new spirit energy is born. Soon, you will live again as a part of me.”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> Sephiroth laughed.  </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth turned over as the memory faded from his mind. Maggie didn’t know about any of it; she had stayed with the helicopter, as he had asked her to, while he went to the temple. She didn’t know that he... that he worried that this mission was no longer their own. His time in the temple was still a blur— it was as if he had been divided from the moment he sunk down through the floor of that ancient building. It was as if the knowledge and wisdom contained within its walls was screaming to him that he brought something evil, something alien, with him. His body acted on its own, and even though he tried to resist, his movements still followed the will of someone else. The words that had come out of his mouth... who did they belong to? Another memory came to mind:</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Where are you!? Sephiroth!!” Cloud yelled. It seemed that he and his companions had also found their way to the temple. A light flashed and Sephiroth appeared before them. He tried to move and do anything else, but the shadow bound him. He was looking up at murals on the wall. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Without looking at him, he addressed Cloud. “</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>So cold. I am always by your side. Come.”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> The shadow leapt and took Sephiroth’s body deeper into the room.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>When Cloud caught up, Sephiroth continued: </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Splendid.”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> He turned and walked towards Cloud. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“A treasure house of knowledge...”</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I don’t understand what you’re saying!” Cloud yelled. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sephiroth laughed and motioned towards a </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>painting</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> on the wall. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Look well.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Cloud didn’t follow Sephiroth’s motion. “At what!?” he asked, visibly frustrated. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“At that which adds to the knowledge of...”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> Sephiroth tried again to take back control of his body, but the shadow was too strong, </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“I am becoming one with the Planet.”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> Light flashed again and Sephiroth found himself sitting on the ground near an altar at the end of long room. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“...Mother... it’s almost time... Soon... we will become one.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“How do you intend to become one with the Planet?” asked a woman in pink, who he had not noticed until that moment. She looked ready for a fight. She had bright emerald eyes and chestnut brown hair. He looked at her and smiled.  </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s simple. Once the Planet is hurt, it gathers Spirit Energy to heal the injury. The amount of energy gathered depends on the size of the injury.”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> Sephiroth was doing everything he could to regain control. His sword appeared in hand and he worried what was going to happen, but the shadow merely stabbed it into the ground. Words continued to spill from his lips </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“...What would happen if there was an injury that threatened the very life of the Planet? Think how much energy would be gathered!”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> He pulled his sword back from the ground and laughed. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Ha </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>ha</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>ha</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>.”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> Sephiroth found himself feeling like he was being torn apart as he said, </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“And at the center of that injury will be me. All that boundless energy will be mine. By merging with all the energy of the Planet, I will become a new life form, a new existence. Melding with the Planet... I will cease to exist as I am now. Only to be reborn as a god to rule over every soul.”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The woman in pink looked horrified. “An injury powerful enough to destroy the Planet? Injure... the Planet?” she asked, eyeing him cautiously.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Behold that mural,”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> Sephiroth said. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“The Ultimate Destructive Magic... Meteor.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“That’ll never happen!” Cloud yelled. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Wake up!!!”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> the shadow commanded. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth couldn’t remember what happened after that. The next thing he knew, there was a loud rumbling. He was outside and he had watched as the Temple slowly began to shrink down until it was small enough to fit into the palm of one’s hand... and black. He had watched as Cloud and his friends climbed down into the hole where the Temple once stood.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“As long as we have this, Sephiroth won’t be able to use Meteor,” Cloud said as he grabbed the black </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>materia</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>. He stood back up and looked at the woman in pink. “</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Mmm</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>? Can you guys use it?” </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She shook her head. “Nope, we can’t use it right now. You need great spiritual power to use it.” </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“You mean lots of spiritual energy?” Cloud folded his arms, thinking. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The woman mused, </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“That’s right. One person’s power alone won’t do it. Somewhere special. Where there’s plenty of the Planet’s energy...” Then she looked up, having a sudden idea. “Oh yeah! The Promised Land!!” </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“The Promised Land!!” Cloud exclaimed, but then frowned. “No, but...” </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Sephiroth is different,” she said, shaking her head. “He’s not an Ancient...” </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“... He shouldn’t be able to find the Promised Land,” Cloud finished for her.  </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>There was a flash of light, and Sephiroth found himself floating above them both. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Ah, but I have,”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> he said, smiling. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m far superior to the Ancients. I became a traveler of the Lifestream and gained the knowledge and wisdom of the Ancients. I also gained the knowledge and wisdom of those after the extinction of the Ancients. And soon, I will create the future.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The woman in pink yelled at him, “I won’t let you do it! The future is not only yours!”</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sephiroth soared to the side where he could better look at Cloud. The man stared at him with </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>determined, angry eyes</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Hah, ha, ha... I wonder?”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> Sephiroth felt a sickening joy overwhelm him. Whatever this shadow was, it had a history with Cloud, and it found his anger very amusing. There was bright flash of light and the call of the shadow: </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“Wake up!”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> As the light faded, Sephiroth descended gradually down towards Cloud. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Cloud held his head in pain; he shook and yelled, “Sh... shut up!” before collapsing to the ground. “The... noise...” </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sephiroth knelt before him and waited. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“There, Cloud... good boy.”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>There was a ringing noise that filled their minds. Sephiroth couldn’t do anything to fight it; apparently, neither could Cloud. He got up and ran towards Sephiroth, handing him the black </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>materia</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>. “</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Wa</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>.... </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>aaaa</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>.... </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>aaa</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>,” Cloud moaned, trying to fight it. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sephiroth laughed. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“...Well done.”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> And with that he flew off, disappearing from their view. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth looked down at the woman sleeping somewhat restlessly beside him. How could he begin to tell her?</span>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>I’m not in control of myself anymore? I don’t know what’s happening, but let’s just pretend like everything is fine? I feel like I’m falling apart?</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>Everything he thought of seemed completely crazy, but he had said that he wouldn’t keep things from her. She turned and nuzzled into his side; her eyebrows were furrowed. Surely, she already had suspicions that something was wrong. He thought back to when he had returned to her from the temple: </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He hadn’t exactly strolled back up to the helicopter where she was waiting. ‘Staggered’ was the more accurate term. It was getting harder to shake off. The lines were getting harder to distinguish. Maggie had to help him into the helicopter, and she had stared in worry as he clutched at his head. When he had regained himself, he had simply taken off with no explanation other than ‘they needed to go.’ </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>When they reached the northern continent and were headed towards the small village (in which they </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>currently resided),</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> Maggie finally had a chance to ask what had happened. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“It was messy,”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> he answered truthfully. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“There were quite a few people after the </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>materia</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>.”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I guess it was good I stayed by the helicopter, then,” she offered, trying to be reassuring. After a moment of silence, she asked, “But what was that loud rumbling?” </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sephiroth held up the black </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>materia</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> for her to see. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“That was the temple shrinking. The whole thing is the black </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>materia</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>.”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Maggie marveled at it. “Well that’s unlike any </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>materia</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> I’ve ever heard of.” She looked around. “So, why are we here? Shouldn’t we be heading to threaten </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Shinra</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> or something?” </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sephiroth shook his head. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“We can’t use it just anywhere.”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> He thought back to what the woman in pink had said at the temple: they needed a large amount of spiritual energy, like in the Promised Land. He had said that he knew where the Promised Land was. He thought about it and felt it in his gut: the old injury to the planet where JENOVA had been discovered... The place the shadow had told him to go: the northern crater. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh,” Maggie said, frowning, “where are we going, then?” </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He wasn’t sure how to explain it to her, but he tried anyway. “</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>We need to find a place full of energy... There is a place here in the north that I read about in the </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Shinra</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> Mansion.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>” He paused, fumbling over his words. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“I think it’s </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>the Promised Land.”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh, so </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Shinra</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> will be after it too,” Maggie said, frowning. “That’s what they’ve wanted all along, right?”  She could tell that something was wrong with Sephiroth, that something strange had happened, but she could also tell that he was still processing it all, so she decided to</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> give him some time to think about it...</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sephiroth nodded at Maggie. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>“So, we’d better get there before them.”</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It was dark by the time they reached the village. It was comprised of tents and buildings made from large fossils. Most of the people who lived there were digging for treasure or anything of archeological significance. Sephiroth and Maggie had found a place to rest for the night and let tomorrow’s problems be </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>tomorrow’s</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie</span>
  <span> flopped in discomfort and then finally sat up and rubbed her eyes. “A couple nights in a bed will really spoil you,” she complained. “The ground is just too hard.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth sat in silence. Maggie looked at him and saw he had a very troubled expression. She was worried. She had hoped that after sleeping, he would feel a little better. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” she finally asked him. Sephiroth looked at her, but was still unable to find the words. He shook his head. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know. Just a feeling I guess.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A pretty bad-looking one,” Maggie commented. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes,”</span>
  <span> he agreed, </span>
  <span>“but going forward is the only way to resolve it.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie thought about the Gold Saucer and their nights in </span>
  <span>Nibelheim</span>
  <span>, and wished things could remain that way forever. </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> had caught up to them, though. The President himself had come after them. Running away wouldn’t do any good. Sephiroth was right: the only way to go was forward. She wasn’t sure if it was the same feeling he was talking about, but when she thought about moving forward, she felt nothing but dread.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, no point in staying here then,” Maggie said, and got up. “Come on, let’s go.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they walked out of the tent, there was a surprising sight. A young woman in a pink dress and long brown hair waited outside for them. Her emerald eyes twinkled, and she had soft pink lips that were smiling. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello,” she said calmly, waving. Sephiroth recognized her from inside the temple… He felt a pit form in his stomach. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Aeris</span>
  <span>?” Maggie asked. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes,” the woman in pink answered. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know her?”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth asked, and looked at Maggie in surprise. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes,” Maggie said happily. “When I was in </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span> and trying to get to you, I met her and her friends— they helped me get to the boat.” Maggie looked around. “They don’t seem to be with you now, though.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Aeris said with a troubled look on her face, “I had to leave them behind.” It was then that Maggie noticed several small bruises on her face and arms. Before Maggie could address it, however, Aeris walked carefully towards Sephiroth. “I didn’t know back then that you were looking for him,” she looked at Maggie, “but then again, you probably weren’t looking for HIM.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth’s eyebrows knit together in confusion and Maggie shared the sentiment. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not really him, you know,” Aeris said softly, turning her attention back to Sephiroth. “You’re like Cloud, aren’t you? He controls you… against your will.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie looked back and forth between Sephiroth and Aeris. She thought back to </span>
  <span>Junon</span>
  <span>, to the reactor in </span>
  <span>Nibelheim</span>
  <span>… There were times when Sephiroth did not seem himself… and times that they both had periods of blackout. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Was that what Aeris was referring to?</span>
  </em>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In the temple, I could see you fighting it,” Aeris’ eyes filled with concern, “but his control on you is stronger.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who?” Maggie asked, bewildered. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sephiroth,” Aeris answered. Sephiroth grabbed his head as the name left her mouth, a mind-splitting pain filling it, like he was being torn apart. Aeris grabbed his hands and held them against his head. The pain subsided. When he could breathe, she asked, “Do you have a tattoo, by any chance?” Sephiroth pulled his right hand away and removed his glove, revealing the tattoo. She nodded and said, “</span>
  <span>Mmm</span>
  <span> hmm, like I thought. There are others like you… with tattoos… They’re all seeking Sephiroth and the Reunion...” she cocked her head to the side, “but they don’t look like him the way you do.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth brought his hand back and stared at it</span>
  <span>. “So, what? I’m a copy of him? I just have... all his memories and life experience... but I’m not him?”</span>
  <span> Maggie could hear the trembling in his voice. She went over and wrapped her arm around his and looked at Aeris with contempt. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Even if what you say is true,” Maggie said hotly, “what are you doing here?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aeris looked confused by Maggie’s reaction and she shifted uneasily. “I’m here to help,” she said. “Sephiroth is trying to destroy the planet, and I’m the only one who can stop him.” She looked at Maggie’s Sephiroth. “You’re not like him— the Ancients told me so in the temple. Even if they hadn’t, I can feel it. That’s why I came to you directly, why they led me here.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The Ancients told you?”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth asked. </span>
  <span>“How can you hear them?”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because I am one,” she answered.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked at Aeris. </span>
  <span>She just looked like a normal woman.</span>
  <span> He thought back to the </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> mansion, about what he had read about Jenova. All Sephiroth’s life, at least, the life he remembered, he had been told that he had the power of the Ancients, so they had hoped he would hear their voices. It made sense now that he hadn’t: Jenova probably wasn’t an Ancient after all... she was a monster. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is crazy,” Maggie said. “So, you’re telling us there’s another Sephiroth somewhere that wants to destroy the planet?” She squeezed Sephiroth’s arm. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes,” said Aeris, looking at Maggie. “I’m not sure how you got involved in all of this, but if we don’t keep the black </span>
  <span>materia</span>
  <span> away from him, the planet will die and Sephiroth, the other Sephiroth, will consume all life as we know it.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie felt herself getting angry. “How can you possibly know this? How can you just show up with such wild assumptions? </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> are the ones who ruined our lives and the black </span>
  <span>materia</span>
  <span> is how we’ll end them. That’s why we have it. Once they’re gone, we can have a normal life.”  She looked at Sephiroth with concern. “Isn’t that right? She can’t be right, can she?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s right,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth said quietly. </span>
  <span>“I… he said as much while I was in the temple.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He wants the black </span>
  <span>materia</span>
  <span>,” Aeris said desperately. “He wants to use it to wound the planet so he…”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“... can become one with it…”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth finished for her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie felt her world breaking, the one strand of hope she had been grasping at slipping away. </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> would do terrible things if they got ahold of them, but </span>
  <span>now </span>
  <span>Aeris</span>
  <span> was saying </span>
  <span>the</span>
  <span>re was a risk of the</span>
  <span> extinction of all life? </span>
  <span>That would mean t</span>
  <span>here was now an even more monumental threat to their happiness</span>
  <span>.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If that’s true, then where is this other Sephiroth and how can he take control the way he does?” Maggie asked, her heart full of anguish. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Aeris answered. “All I know is what happened to him five years ago. Well, more or less. Cloud told me about it.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, what did happen five years ago?” Maggie asked. She and Sephiroth stared at Aeris with bated breath. They hadn’t expected the answer to this particular question to come in this manner, but they wanted the truth all the same. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aeris nodded and took a deep breath before explaining: “They went on a mission to Cloud’s hometown, Nibelheim, where Sephiroth learned the origin of his… creation. He was the result of the JENOVA Project.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes,” Maggie interrupted impatiently, “we learned about the JENOVA Project when we were in Nibelheim recently, but what happened after that?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aeris grimaced uncomfortably. “He went mad. He burned down the town, murdered all of the people, and went to the reactor to reclaim JENOVA. Cloud fought him and defeated him, although he doesn’t remember how.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who is Cloud to me... or rather, to him?”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth asked.</span>
  <span> He thought of how he reacted whenever Cloud was near. He hadn’t known Cloud before that incident and yet there was such intimate anger.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You said you have Sephiroth’s memories— you don’t remember him?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth said, confused, </span>
  <span>“but I don’t remember anything about </span>
  <span>Nibelheim</span>
  <span> five years ago either…”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe that’s proof that you aren’t really him,” Aeris said. “That, and you learned how you— he— was created and yet you didn’t react the same way.”  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“At the very least, I’m not who he was back then,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth said, sliding his glove back over his tattooed hand. He looked towards Maggie. </span>
  <span>“The circumstance was very different.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie rubbed her temples. “This is all very confusing.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aeris nodded. “Yes, but I hope you will believe me, because we need to act. If Sephiroth— the other Sephiroth— gets the black </span>
  <span>materia</span>
  <span>...” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>What is it you want</span>
  <span> from us</span>
  <span>?”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth asked. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“At the very least, your cooperation,” Aeris said carefully. She looked towards the forest. “There is a place past here… I’m not exactly sure why, but the voices of the Ancients are telling me to go there. I think maybe there is some way we can break his hold on you.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She took a deep breath as they stood in silence, and then clenched her hands into fists with determination. “I know I’m asking a lot from you,” Aeris continued with a piercing stare, “but I promise, I’m trying to help you.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie and Sephiroth looked at each other. It was all so much to take in, but it wasn’t like she was asking them to give up the black </span>
  <span>materia</span>
  <span>, just for them to make </span>
  <span>sure it didn’t get into, or rather, wasn’t already, in the wrong hands</span>
  <span>. There were new questions now that maybe could never be answered, like who was the Sephiroth that Maggie was looking at, really? It didn’t stop them from needing to do something about what was happening now. Sephiroth put a hand to Maggie’s face. </span>
  <span>“If there’s a way to free myself from this, I should go.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You mean ‘we,’ right?” Maggie asked him, searching his eyes. “If he takes control again, who will be there to stop you? You didn’t have me with you in the temple… </span>
  <span>I want to be there to make sure you don’t lose yourself again.”  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What if I—?”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth said with a pained look. </span>
  <span>“I’m not even who I thought I was a few days ago... How can you—?”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I didn’t fall for the ‘other’ Sephiroth,” Maggie scoffed, “I fell for you. I’ll accept you, whoever you are.” He stared back into her eyes for a moment and then nodded.   </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth looked back to Aeris, who was uncomfortably trying to look elsewhere. </span>
  <span>She must have felt like she was imposing on a private moment. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, we’ll go with you,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth answered. Aeris smiled, nodded, and walked towards the entrance to the forest. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have what we need to get through the forest already,” she said, producing a small harp. “Anyone who doesn’t have one will become hopelessly lost: Lunar Harp. Nifty, huh?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie stayed close to Sephiroth, almost afraid to let him go. She wanted herself,</span>
  
  <span>and especially</span>
  <span> him, to stay tethered to reality. If someone was really jumping in and out of his head, she wanted to make sure she was right next to him to help him know himself from the imposter. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The forest was silent as they walked into it. Not even the sound of insects was present. A soft glow on the horizon shined through the trees— it was beautiful, to say in the least. It changed, though, when Aeris strummed her fingers on the harp. As she finished the movement, the harp faded from her hand and the forest sprang to life. All of the sounds that had been missing erupted into earshot. It was all still distant and quiet, but compared to the deafening silence moments ago, it was almost alarming. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The forest is awake; we should be able to get through now,” Aeris said cheerfully, and ran forward. They followed close behind her. It didn’t take them long to get through the forest. Trees gave way to rocky </span>
  <span>cliffsides</span>
  <span> and coral-like plants. It was like they had walked into what used to be the bottom of the sea. They traveled forward and down a hill to an old, deserted-looking town. The houses were made from large spiraling seashells, and </span>
  <span>they took notice that the insides were very well-preserved </span>
  <span>despite the clear aging on the outside of the buildings. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aeris stopped in the middle of the town and closed her eyes. “Tell me, where do I go? What is it that you want me to find?” She turned her attention towards a cluster of trees in the distance. “There? The real city is there?”  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They all headed that way, Maggie still staying close to Sephiroth. “What do you expect to find?” Maggie asked. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not sure,” answered Aeris, “but this is where they want me to go.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you sure it’s smart to have us with you?”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth asked, suddenly uneasy. Aeris turned and smiled back at them. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A little late for that now, don’t you think?” she said cheerfully. “Besides, this seems like the best </span>
  <span>solution</span>
  
  <span>to</span>
  <span> me. Like I said, I can feel you’re not like him. If I can just get him to let go of you somehow, then that should make things considerably better all around.” She looked at Sephiroth with raised eyebrows. “Maybe you could help us fight him.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth frowned at that; he wasn’t sure how to feel about fighting another version of himself, but if it was to preserve a world that he and Maggie could live in together, then that was a fight he would probably have to take on.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie also worried about the implications. Given he would essentially be fighting himself, who would win? Not to mention that she wouldn’t be able to help at all. She would have to let him run off with a group of strangers and hope he came back to her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aeris didn’t wait for them to respond and turned around to continue walking. They eventually came to a small, sparkling pond in the middle of a cluster of trees. Behind it was another shell building. She led them inside, and at first it looked like there was nothing, just the spiral of the shell that led up and a display that looked like an aquarium, but it was actually just a projection. As Aeris stepped towards the projection, stairs appeared, leading down through the projection and underground. She started to walk down the stairs but stopped as if listening, and then turned to look at them.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re telling me that I need to go on alone,” she said.</span>
  <span> She looked around and then turned to them. “Do you mind waiting outside? This may take a bit.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They nodded and let her proceed on her own. Maggie was curious to see where the stairs led, but knew it was best to respect </span>
  <span>Aeris</span>
  <span>’ wishes. She and Sephiroth went outside and sat down next to the pond. Maggie stared into it and realized it was actually quite deep, so deep that the bottom was hard to make out. What a mysterious place they had come to. </span>
  <span>It was beautiful and yet tragic. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What had happened to those that once lived here? </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie looked over at Sephiroth, who looked deeply troubled. She scooted over closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. “It’ll be… alright,” she said, but her voice had cracked a little, exposing her fear. She felt a weight on her heart. Everything felt so overwhelming. The experiments that they had learned of, the things that </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> had done: all of it had somehow been manageable, emotionally speaking… but the idea of an enemy that potentially couldn’t be beaten... Maggie looked up at Sephiroth’s face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He must feel so lost— even the truth he thought he had found wasn’t the truth… at least for him. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth grabbed Maggie’s hand and held it almost too tightly to be comfortable. He didn’t say anything. He just stared out at the sparkling water, lost in thought, or perhaps misery. For all Maggie knew, he was just trying to hold it together. She wondered what exactly it was that Aeris hoped to accomplish; how would she be able to break the hold that the bad Sephiroth had on her Sephiroth? Sephiroth had mentioned the Ancients before and that he had the power of one, so what made Aeris different or special? She wanted to ask him about it, but he seemed so fragile right now that she was afraid to. So instead, she sat in silence, letting him hold her hand. If that was his only link to reality, she wouldn’t take that from him.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They waited for what felt like hours. Maggie had managed to fall asleep against Sephiroth despite her worried mind. When he finally woke her, he helped her up and said, </span>
  <span>“Let’s go for a walk.</span>
  <span>” She nodded sleepily and they headed out into the trees behind the shell building. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>After they had walked a little way, Maggie asked, “Shouldn’t we stay close?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We won’t go far, I just need to move,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth answered.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie looked around at the trees; they </span>
  <span>had an</span>
  <span> almost unearthly glow to them. “This place is beautiful, don’t you think?” She looked at Sephiroth. “Did you ever think you would see a place like this?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth said, also looking around, </span>
  <span>“I never thought of any of this.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She knew what he meant, even though he hadn’t said it outright: he never would have thought that where they were now, what they were doing now, would be reality. It was all just too strange to even want to believe. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For as crazy as this all is,” Maggie told him, “I stand by what I said before: I’m glad we’re facing it together.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You seem to be feeling better,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth commented with a weak smile. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie rubbed her eyes and smiled back. “Sleep always puts things into a better perspective. It’s also a great way to pass the time— you should try it.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth looked at her wryly. </span>
  <span>“I’m not sure I could manage it.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Sure,</span>
  <span> you could; come here.” Maggie sat on the ground up against a tree and beckoned for him to lie down.  He obeyed her order and lay down with his head resting in her lap. He looked up at her skeptically. “Now,” she said as she began massaging his head, “close your eyes and breathe deep.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He rolled his eyes but didn’t fight her on it. She massaged his scalp and the back of his neck. Sephiroth let out a moan of contentment and Maggie felt herself blush a little. She looked at the uncovered part of his chest, bit her lip, and then </span>
  <span>decided to venture into new territory.</span>
  <span> His strong pectorals were smooth and firm against her delicate hand. Sephiroth gave out a relaxed sigh, so Maggie continued the motion with confidence until his breathing leveled out and he slept peacefully. She enjoyed it more than she probably should have, but if he didn’t object, she wouldn’t either. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t deserve all this anguish,” she whispered to him. “All we can do right now is wait, so sleep and have happy dreams.” It wasn’t long before she, too, drifted back to sleep. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they woke again, it was almost dark. The air had changed. It was unsettling. They got up and Maggie looked to Sephiroth. “We should get back to Aeris,” she said, feeling uneasy. “What if something happened to her?” Sephiroth nodded and they headed back to the shell building. As they entered it, Sephiroth felt a pulsing in his chest and his hands began to tremble. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maggie, I—”</span>
  <span> he said. </span>
  <span>“I don’t think I should go there.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They looked down the stairs that spiraled to an underground city. Buildings rose over a beautiful pool of water, and at the center of it was Aeris, kneeling on an altar with light shining around her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She’s praying,</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>a voice in his head said.</span>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>She’s</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> activating the white </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>materia</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>. She must be stopped</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth said, grabbing his head. </span>
  <span>“Don’t make me…”</span>
  <span>  And then he felt it, the overwhelming twisted hatred and pleasure directed towards those who would oppose. Especially…</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cloud!” someone yelled. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop!” yelled another. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> leaped off the stairs. Maggie tried to grab him, but just barely missed, the fabric of his coat sliding through her fingertips. He plummeted down towards Aeris, sword appearing in his hands... and impaled her. Maggie collapsed to her knees on the stairs and put her hand over her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>There had been the clear sound of metal meeting bone as his sword passed through her spine with inhuman precision. Sephiroth smiled at the look of horror on Cloud’s face before slowly drawing back the blade. Time slowed as the girl’s body fell forward and a single piece of white-colored materia fell and rolled into the pool of water below. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth held his hands out to each side, a feeling of victory overcoming him as Cloud held Aeris tightly.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Aeris,” Cloud said, shaking her in hopes of a response. “This can’t be real!”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do not worry,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth said, still smiling. </span>
  <span>“Soon the girl will become part of the Planet’s energy. All that is left is to go North. The Promised Land waits for me over the snowy fields. There, I will become a new being by uniting with the Planet. As will this girl...”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“... Shut up,” Cloud spoke in anguish. “The cycle of nature and your stupid plan don’t mean a thing. Aeris is gone.” He slowly lowered her body to the ground. “Aeris will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry... or get angry...” Cloud bowed his head. “What about us... what are WE supposed to do? What about my pain?” His whole body shook. “My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth looked down at Cloud and spoke coldly: </span>
  <span>“What are you saying? Are you trying to tell me you have feelings too?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cloud stood and faced Sephiroth with fury. “Of course! Who do you think I am!?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ha, ha, ha...”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth laughed. </span>
  <span>“Stop acting as if you were sad. There’s no need to act as though you’re angry either.”</span>
  <span> He rose up into the air. </span>
  <span>“Because, Cloud... you are...”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie watched the scene below in horror, but couldn’t make out what was being said. She knew that wasn’t— couldn’t be— her Sephiroth… He would never do something like this… She stared down at the lifeless body of the girl she had hardly known, and yet who had tried to help them... </span>
  <em>
    <span>She had tried to help them and now she—! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Coming to her senses, Maggie realized the others were in danger. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I have to stop Sephiroth!</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She tried to get up and clamber down the stairs, but then something strange happened. It was familiar, but she was much more aware of it this time: that twisting, alien feeling inside her. She felt the pulsing of a heart, but it wasn’t her own. This time she saw it come out from her and she remembered… The blood at the </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> building… she remembered seeing it… JENOVA. It had climbed inside her... It had been using her to get around and do its bidding. It had attacked Cloud and his friends on the ship from Junon. What Cloud had said back then was true: Sephiroth, or rather Maggie, had been carrying JENOVA with them all along. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She watched as part of it crawled out from her chest, passing through her flesh like a portal. It was green and shapeless; seeing it nauseated her. Once free, it plummeted down to the group below. She watched it form into a monstrous creature and attack. She fell to her hands and felt sick, shock overwhelming her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why did Aeris bring us here!? Did she not know that we…? She never should have brought us here!!! </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>To her surprise, Sephiroth grabbed her shoulders and raised her to her feet. She looked at him with horror, but then saw the agony in his expression: the complete loss of will and control... and the horrible act committed. </span>
  <span>“We need to go,”</span>
  <span> he said with his voice on the verge of breaking, </span>
  <span>“We can’t stay here.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sephiroth… I… We...” Maggie couldn’t find the words or fight the tears streaming down her face. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We. Can’t. Undo. It,”</span>
  <span> he said, despising each word as it left his lips. </span>
  <span>“We’ll only endanger them more if we stay.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie nodded, still in shock, and she followed Sephiroth back up the stairs and out. They reached the pond and she fell to the ground again, weeping. Sephiroth grabbed her and held her against him and lifted them both up. Soon the ground was falling away from them and they found themselves soaring past the trees and into the night sky. Maggie looked in shock through tear-filled</span>
  
  <span>eyes and saw one magnificent black wing emerging from Sephiroth’s back. He didn’t say anything; he just soared over the landscape trying to get as much </span>
  <span>distance as possible between Cloud's group and themselves</span>
  <span>. Maggie continued to sob in his arms as they flew. It wasn’t until the dry, sandy landscape changed into a soft snowy field that Sephiroth landed. The wing disappeared and he knelt, holding Maggie tightly. She still shook from crying. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sephiroth, how did this happen!? How could this have happened!?” Sephiroth didn’t know what to say… He felt the same. “It’s our fault!” Maggie wailed. “She’s dead because of us.” Maggie didn’t know her well, but she knew Aeris was good and kind and that she hadn’t deserved the fate that had been dealt to her. She saw the image in her head again of Cloud holding her body, and the horrified stances of her friends. Even if she hadn’t known her well personally, Maggie could feel the weight of her loss. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do we do? What can we do?” Maggie clutched at Sephiroth’s coat angrily. “Did you see? Did you see what came out of me?” Sephiroth squeezed his arms around her. “I’m a monster,” she sobbed. “I’m a monster…” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He waited for Maggie’s sobs to calm down before he commented: </span>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>If you are a monster, I most definitely am.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie sat back and looked at him, thinking; then she asked, </span>
  <span>“...Have you always had that wing?”  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth answered quietly, </span>
  <span>“but I’ve never shown anyone.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie thought back to when they were headed to the Gold Saucer, when he had rescued her after they fell through the tracks, and looked at him with compassion. Having just seen what had crawled out from her, a wing was far more beautiful, but she understood why he hadn’t wanted to show anyone. Even more than </span>
  <span>that, she</span>
  <span> realized that it wasn’t because of the wing that he considered himself a monster at this moment. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re a liability to anyone we come near,” Maggie said </span>
  <span>solemnly</span>
  <span>. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, we won’t go near anyone,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth said with conviction, </span>
  <span>“but, there is only one course of action we can take. We have to face him.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie shook her head and leaned into Sephiroth’s chest. “How can we?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think we have any choice,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth said bleakly while clenching his fists. </span>
  <span>“He’ll make us go one way or another... and... we owe it to her... We might as well bring them a fight.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie nodded, feeling another wave of sadness wash over her, threatening to crush her. She didn’t fight it, and let it the tears fall. Sephiroth held her until she couldn’t cry anymore. He was glad she could cry enough for the both of them. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite the events of the day, the snowy field was quiet and beautiful in the nighttime. As soon as Maggie was able, they got up and headed out into the darkness. Neither of them wanted to sleep. Neither of them wanted better perspective on what they had done. They headed towards where they both felt the Reunion calling. </span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They headed north through the snowy field until they came to a small town. It was late at night and most of the lights were out. </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> noticed Maggie shivering. Even if neither of them wanted to sleep, they at least needed a place to hole up and prepare to head up into the snowy mountains. Maggie would freeze to death the way she was dressed. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He led her into the town cautiously, the only sound just the quiet crunch of snow beneath their feet. </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but there was one house to the side of town that was darker than the others. Not even the porch light was on. Maggie continued to shake from the cold. He pulled her close and walked towards the house. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe no one is home.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> looked in the window as they got closer. It was completely dark except for some small blinking lights here and there. The light from another house revealed a thick layer of dust on the inside of the window seal. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe it’s abandoned</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Taking a risk, he tried the front door. It was unlocked. They didn’t waste any time going inside. It wasn’t incredibly warmer inside, but it was an improvement. After walking down a few steps, </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> was able to find a light switch. Fortunately, there was electricity. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The lights came on and revealed a large room with computer monitors and electronic </span>
  <span>devices</span>
  <span>. There was a large, rectangular, blue carpet with a desk, a chair, and a globe of the world. It was an odd setup for a house— it looked more like a research study. </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> also noted some </span>
  <span>stairs leading downward.</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait here a moment,”</span>
  <span> he told Maggie so he could go and check it out. She nodded, and down he went. Downstairs, he found what was the actual living portion of the house. There was a large bed, and towards the back was a small kitchen and dining area, as well as a bathroom. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Good, no one is here</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> thought gratefully. As he turned to head back to the stairs, he noticed a book on the ground that was full of pictures. Some of the pages were torn, but he could see a picture that had a man and a woman standing together in a loving stance. The man looked familiar to </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span>. He picked up the book and looked closer at it. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie stood in the center of the room, letting herself shake from the cold. She didn’t try to warm herself up or find something to cover herself with. She still felt raw and hollow. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It would have been better if it was me. I have contributed nothing to this world. I have only taken, like a selfish child. She was actually trying to give something back. I can’t do anything in her place. She said so herself: “I’m the only one who can stop him.” </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look at this,”</span>
  
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> said as he came back up the stairs. He held the photobook out to her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie looked at it numbly and asked, “Should I know them?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This man here,”</span>
  <span> he pointed to a man with brown hair, glasses, and a thick mustache, </span>
  <span>“is Professor </span>
  <span>Gast</span>
  <span>, who I thought had died when I was little.”</span>
  <span> Maggie looked at the picture and studied the brown-haired woman next to him. She felt a pang in her heart: </span>
  <em>
    <span>she reminds me of </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Aeris</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who is she?” Maggie asked. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> shook his head. </span>
  <span>“I’m not sure, but look at this here.”</span>
  <span> He flipped a page to some images that looked much older. There was another picture of Professor </span>
  <span>Gast</span>
  <span> shaking the hand of a very pregnant woman with flowing golden hair. </span>
  <span>“She looks just like you,”</span>
  
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> said. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Maggie asked, looking at it. “It has to be a coincidence.” She took the image out of the book and studied it. The woman in the picture had a warm smile</span>
  <span>, </span>
  <span>sparkling</span>
  
  <span>determined eyes, and</span>
  
  <span>was oddly reminiscent of herself. Turning the picture over, she saw the words “JENOVA PROJECT V.” Maggie looked at </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> in confusion, and then turned the picture back over to study it yet again.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe we can find out more if we look around,”</span>
  
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> offered, </span>
  <span>“but first let’s see if we can get you warmer.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” Maggie lied. “Let’s look around.” She started picking up books that were scattered about the room on desks and on the floor and flipped through them, looking for anything that related to this Project V. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span>, on the other hand, went to look for warmer clothes for Maggie. </span>
  <span>The brown-haired woman may have been Professor </span>
  <span>Gast’s</span>
  <span> wife, and the photo looked like it was taken </span>
  <span>here</span>
  <span>, given the snowy background, so maybe there were some of her old clothes here.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was able to find a warm winter coat and snow pants, along with some warm-looking sweaters. He grabbed one of the sweaters and then headed back to Maggie, who was already reading furiously through books. He snatched the book from her hand and placed it on center of the desk. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey!” Maggie said, agitated, but </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> just turned to her with a commanding presence and she didn’t say anything else. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Put this on,”</span>
  <span> he told her, handing her the sweater. Maggie furrowed her brows and tried to push past him to get the book. He caught her and made her look at him. </span>
  <span>“Put. It. On.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She glowered, but took the sweater and pulled it on over her head. She instantly felt warmer, but somehow that didn’t make her feel better. She was so mad about everything, mad about seemingly having no control over anything. It was worse than that first night outside out of </span>
  <span>Midgar</span>
  <span>. She was so lost back then and she knew so little. Now she knew more and all the knowledge did was make her angry. Who knew what other life-altering information they would find here? </span>
  <span>She just wanted to find out whatever it was and get it over with.</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie picked up the book and kept reading. </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> watched her and sympathized. He had been the same way back in </span>
  <span>Nibelheim</span>
  <span>, perhaps worse. She had been there to pull him back and ground him to the present. Given all that had happened since then, he worried that he wouldn’t be able to do the same for her. The best he could do for now was help her look </span>
  <span>through it all, so he too searched around the room for anything that might tip them off. They went through several books, and after a while, Maggie ventured downstairs to look around. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>At this point, </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> noticed a computer with a file open to videos. One was labeled “The Original Crisis.” Curious, he hit play. In it, </span>
  <span>the brown-haired woman who was in the first picture with Professor </span>
  <span>Gast</span>
  <span> was introduced as “</span>
  <span>Ifalna</span>
  <span>,” and she was talking about the </span>
  <span>Cetra</span>
  <span>, that being the true name for the Ancients. She talked about this area, how it was snowy year-round because all the energy here was devoted to healing an injury to the planet… an injury caused by a “crisis from the sky.”</span>
  
  <em>
    <span>Well, that adds up</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That is in agreement with why black </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>materia</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> can be used here, and… this crisis from the sky… That sounds like the description of JENOVA that I read back in the </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Shinra</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> Mansion.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the video, </span>
  <span>Ifalna</span>
  <span> said ‘it’ had appeared to them looking like their dead mothers and brothers... It showed them specters of their past. It approached as a friend, deceived them, and then infected them with a virus. The </span>
  <span>Cetra</span>
  <span> were attacked by the virus and went mad... transforming into monsters. Once it had finished with the northern area, it moved to different parts of the world, continuing to spread the virus to more of the </span>
  <span>Cetra</span>
  <span>. </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> shuddered, thinking,</span>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>If</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> that was </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Jenova</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>... then I’m...</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He switched to a second video called “What is ‘Weapon?’” In this one, </span>
  <span>Ifalna</span>
  <span> confirmed what Sephiroth already knew in his heart to be true: Jenova was in fact mistaken to be an Ancient, or rather </span>
  <span>Cetra</span>
  <span>, and was indeed the crisis from the sky. The planet had to destroy it, because the planet cannot heal while JENOVA exists. So, the planet produced weapons to fight, but they were never used. A small band of </span>
  <span>Cetra</span>
  <span> were able to defeat and confine JENOVA, so now the weapons sleep and wait.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> wasn’t sure about the weapons or what they meant, but he took comfort from the fact that Professor </span>
  <span>Gast</span>
  <span> had really thought </span>
  <span>Jenova</span>
  <span> was an Ancient… It hadn’t been his intent to create a monster like himself…</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was one more tape labeled “Confidential” that Sephiroth watched. It made his stomach twist. This video revealed that Professor Gast and </span>
  <span>Ifalna</span>
  <span> had a daughter… named Aeris. </span>
  <span>Ifalna</span>
  <span> was a </span>
  <span>Cetra</span>
  <span> and Aeris had been a </span>
  <span>Cetra</span>
  <span>… Sephiroth had killed Professor Gast’s daughter. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Even if Professor Gast hadn’t meant to make me a monster... that’s what I am. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Even if I’m only a copy of the original, I’m no better— maybe I’m even worse.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>He reflected on Aeris’ smiling face. It had been like her father’s: warm and inviting without any guile. He sank to the floor, shaking with anguish. He mentally replayed the moment when he had killed her, and that look of horror on Cloud's face... </span>
  <em>
    <span>and I smiled, I laughed!!!</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>Sephiroth shook his head</span>
  <em>
    <span>. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>No, that wasn’t me. That wasn’t me! But...</span>
  </em>
  <span> Sephiroth had also learned of Professor Gast’s death: </span>
  <span>Hojo</span>
  <span> had found and killed him, taking </span>
  <span>Ifalna</span>
  <span> and Aeris into his custody. Sephiroth put his hand over his mouth. He wanted to throw up. He came from such monstrous things: JENOVA and </span>
  <span>Hojo</span>
  <span>. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If I had never been born, would they all still be alive? Even if it wasn’t my intention, I am the one who did it. Why is a monster like me allowed to keep living?</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie came walking upstairs and noticed his hunched position. She went over to him and put down a book she was holding.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you feeling sick?” she asked him. He didn’t want to tell her; he didn’t want to add to her suffering. When he didn’t respond, she looked at the monitor and asked, “What were you watching?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth still didn’t say anything. He just sat there shaking and staring at the floor. Maggie scowled and went to press play on the tape, but before she could, Sephiroth spoke. </span>
  <span>“I learned that Professor Gast didn’t mysteriously die,”</span>
  <span> he provided, hoping she wouldn’t watch the video. His voice came out hollow: </span>
  <span>“He was murdered by Hojo.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span>…” Maggie said quietly, feeling some of her own anger wane. “I’m so sorry.” She reached out to him, but he avoided her touch. He didn’t want her to make him feel like less of a monster. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie frowned, and then picked up the book she had brought back from downstairs. “I… I found something you might find interesting.” She held it up for him. “It’s Professor Gast’s personal journal. There is a page about you.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When all he did was just sit there, she read it out loud:</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sephiroth</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>, how I wish I could have saved you as well. You were so young when I had to leave, but there is no way </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Shinra</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> would have let me take you. I feel guilt daily that I have left you to the wolves. You did not ask to be born into this. Since meeting </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Ifalna</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>, I have learned so much… I have realized what </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Shinra</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> really hopes for and what they are willing to let my less-ethical colleagues do in order to obtain their goals. I had to thwart as much as I could without raising suspicion. It was too much to hope that I could sneak you out with me— after all, you were my greatest success, so </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Shinra</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> has a tight hold on you. I hope that despite this, you will have a good life… somehow. I know you’ll grow up strong— you’ll be stronger than any of them, so I pray that you’ll be able to survive and use that strength to break free someday. I don’t deserve that peace of mind after all that I have done, but I don’t regret that you were born. I know you’ll be magnificent. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> couldn’t find a way to take comfort in those words. If anything, it drove the stake in further into his heart. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You don’t regret that I was born? Even though it cost you your life?</span>
  </em>
  
  <em>
    <span>The only thing I’ve been magnificent at is causing pain.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie saw him withdraw, and his gaze go somewhere distant. Before he could avoid her again, she grabbed him by his coat and made him look at her. “Hey,” she said, “what’s going on?” He avoided eye contact with her. She grabbed his face and made him look at her. “I said, what’s going on?” He made eye contact but still said nothing. Maggie huffed in annoyance. “Well, look here,” she said, taking the book back from him and flipping to a different page. “I found out my answer too.” She read: </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I have destroyed most of the records in order to keep her safe, but I want to make sure that I don’t forget. Project Venus, contrary to what I reported to Shinra, was actually a success. A beautiful baby girl was born, but the mother did not survive the labor. It would seem that JENOVA cells really are just too much of a strain on the body when it comes to labor, unfortunately, but that is why we started Project Venus to begin with. After what happened with Lucrecia, we hoped to create a stronger vessel for bearing more Ancients. Between her and Sephiroth, we would be able to bring a once-thought-extinct race back to life. That was, until I met Ifalna and learned the truth. I knew what horrors the child would be subjected to. So, I declared that they both had died and hid the child right under their noses. I had the sad yet fortunate acquaintance of a fellow </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Shinra</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> employee who had lost his wife and child in the same fashion. The name Margaret Simonson was available, so that is who she became. I hope she will have a full and happy life, ignorant to these experiments.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As she read the passage, </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> turned his attention away from his dreadful thoughts and focused on the new information before him. Maggie had indeed been created, like him, and Professor </span>
  <span>Gast</span>
  <span> had been able to get her out, but even then, it hadn’t saved her from the horrors of the truth. Neither of them had been spared. </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> recognized what </span>
  <span>Gast</span>
  <span> had really been trying to say in his passages:</span>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>that he was sorry. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I wonder if you hated yourself as much as I hate myself.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie sighed. “It even states my name, so it can’t be a coincidence or a mistake, right?” She shook her head. “No wonder I’m such a good transport device for JENOVA… I’m a stronger vessel for bearing Ancients.” Maggie looked up, having a sudden thought. “Wait… Aeris said </span>
  <em>
    <span>she</span>
  </em>
  <span> was an Ancient. That she could hear their voices. If Jenova was an Ancient, shouldn’t I— shouldn’t we— have heard them too?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth frowned. </span>
  <span>“Turns out JENOVA wasn’t an Ancient.”</span>
  <span> He slumped to the floor, feeling mentally exhausted. </span>
  <span>“She’s what killed them. Professor Gast was mistaken.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? But how do you know?” Maggie asked, confused. </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> motioned towards the monitor. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“One of the video files said so. I… had my suspicions, but this confirmed it. You’ve seen JENOVA… she’s no Ancient. She’s — it’s — not here to commune with the planet or find the Promised Land…”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“... Just to destroy it…” Maggie said sadly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>And we are both born from that monster. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Maggie had a sudden twisted thought that made her stomach drop. She thought about how much she cared for </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span>, and that strong attraction from the moment she saw him. She had been created to bear more Ancients. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So, does that mean that everything… </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is everything I feel a lie?” Maggie asked. “Is the only reason I’m attracted to you because of JENOVA cells?” She grabbed her shoulders and shook. </span>
  <em>
    <span>And is it still inside me???</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> knew what she was talking about. That unspoken drive he had felt when they first met. The instant attraction even when he hadn’t understood why it was happening. Despite how much he hated himself in this moment, he wouldn’t allow her to hate herself in the same way.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He let go of his anger and embraced her. His arms held her and he rested his head against hers. He shook a little as he said, </span>
  <span>“Maggie… I love you because of who you are, and there is no way that JENOVA had anything to do with that.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie felt her breath slip away. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Did he just say… ‘love?’</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> squeezed her tighter and continued: </span>
  <span>“I hate myself; I hate everything that I am, except who I am with you, because you see the good in me even when I can’t.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie felt tears well up in her eyes. “It’s our choice. They keep trying to make us terrible, but it’s still our choice, right? We don’t have to be what they made us to be.” She gripped the back of his coat tightly in her hands. “We can always choose to be good and do the right thing.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She felt </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> nod. </span>
  <span>“There you go again, making me love you, and giving me hope.</span>
  <span>” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie smiled sadly. “Do you think you would love me if things had been different?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pulled back and looked her eyes. </span>
  <span>“I would have loved you whatever the circumstance.”</span>
  <span> She looked back at him and couldn’t fight her own tears. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… I love you too,” she said between sobs. </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> wiped away her tears and smiled at her. He had already known, but hearing her say it chipped away at his self-hatred. If she could love him— if they could love each other— then how monstrous could they really be? </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Additionally,”</span>
  
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> said with a wry smile on his face, </span>
  <span>“how many people can say that they were literally created for each other?”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie let out a sob as she laughed</span>
  <span>,</span>
  
  <span>“That’s a terrible thing to say right now.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>But we always do manage to make the best of these dark moments, don’t we?</span>
  </em>
  
  <em>
    <span>We have a tendency to find good where it has no business being</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,”</span>
  <span> he said, </span>
  <span>soaking in everything that made her beautiful to him</span>
  <span>, </span>
  <span>“but I don’t care. I’m glad</span>
  <span> you </span>
  <span>were made to be with </span>
  <span>me</span>
  <span>.</span>
  <span> I’</span>
  <span>m glad we’ve been through all this together. I’m glad that we can understand each other in way that no one else can. Even though…,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth paused, feeling uncertain, </span>
  <span>“I don’t actually know where I came from. I don’t know if I was actually the Sephiroth who was born from Lucrecia…”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was Maggie’s turn to comfort him; she placed a hand on his face. “I don’t care. I love you wherever you came from and </span>
  <span>whether or not you are THAT particular </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span>.</span>
  <span>” She blushed. “What’s important is that you’re MY </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span>.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He smiled at her again and said, </span>
  <span>“And THAT I am.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good,” said Maggie. She leaned in and kissed him gently on the mouth. He kissed her back and ran his fingers through her long, </span>
  <span>golden waves of curls</span>
  <span>. They held their kiss for a moment longer, and then Maggie slumped against him, too tired to fight off sleep any longer. She was completely emotionally spent.  Sephiroth felt the same, so he shifted them both to the floor, and there they slept in a quiet, unbroken embrace.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They woke up just as the sun was rising. Light filtered through a skylight above and directly into their faces. </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> groaned unhappily, shifted so that his face was shaded, and gently shook Maggie. </span>
  <span>“Hey, we have to get going.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie turned over, shielding her eyes, and nodded. Sephiroth rose to his feet and then helped her stand. They got Maggie bundled into some warmer clothes and then set out before anyone in the town would see them. They crunched through the snow in silence, until they came to </span>
  <span>an incredibly steep decline in elevation</span>
  <span>. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh,” Maggie said skeptically, “how do we traverse this?” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth looked out into the distance. </span>
  <span>The mountain sloped down into a glacier and then shot back up again at their destination: a large crater </span>
  <span>where JENOVA had fallen to this planet. The place where the Planet was still trying to heal after thousands of years… </span>
  <span>and where the Reunion called them</span>
  <span>.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> felt a pit in his stomach. He felt the call so clearly. Maggie noticed the look on his face. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You feel it too,” Maggie said as a foreboding sensation overcame her.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll see him today. It ends today.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> grit his teeth, and thought of the black </span>
  <span>materia</span>
  <span> in his pocket. He wished that he hadn’t been able to obtain it. He wished that Cloud would have been the puppet to deliver it, not himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Then maybe I could fight this feeling, maybe we could go someplace else, but…</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” Maggie said. “I feel it, but why is it so damn clear now? We have to join the Reunion or we’ll die without it, but what happens to us if we join?” Maggie clenched her head. “It feels like I’m being torn apart.”  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> wrapped her into his arms and ran his hand over her head. </span>
  <span>“I suppose we have no choice, then.”</span>
  <span> He unfurled his wing and glided down the mountain, holding her closely to him. The cold didn’t bother Maggie in her thick winter clothes, other than her face, which she buried into </span>
  <span>Sephiroth’s</span>
  <span> chest. It took a little while, but before too long, they reached a snowy field still a little way off from the cliffs of the crater. With the cold wind, Maggie imagined it was hard to fly for long, but </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> had managed a big chuck of it. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They walked through the snow, keeping their eyes on the crater. It was hard to make out </span>
  <span>amongst the thick flurry</span>
  <span>, but even more than looking towards it, they </span>
  <em>
    <span>felt</span>
  </em>
  <span> the Reunion</span>
  
  <span>pulling them towards it. They almost didn’t need to look where they were going. Maggie did her best to keep in step with Sephiroth. The temperature had to be below freezing, so she knew slowing down wouldn’t be good. Between the wind howling and snow flurries, conversation was impossible. So, they both trudged on, heads down, only looking up occasionally. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sometime later— Maggie wasn’t sure how long— they came to the base of the cliff. There was a small cabin there, and the windows had a soft glow that promised warmth. They looked up at the cliff; it was no easy-looking climb… Maggie wasn’t sure she could manage it. </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> turned to her, wrapped an arm around her, and spoke: </span>
  <span>“I’m here with you, so don’t worry.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She nodded and they walked past the cabin together. If it was lit, there was probably someone inside and they didn’t want to risk being near anyone else, but Maggie did lament leaving the warmth behind. </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> could see ledges and flags carved into the cliffs that marked the way to go </span>
  <span>— a</span>
  <span>pparently, they were not the first to traverse this area. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Holding Maggie tightly in his grasp, he jumped rather than climbed to the first ledge. A few more jumps and they came to a cave. Not seeing another ledge nearby to jump to, they went inside. Without the wind, it felt considerably warmer, even though inside was also covered in ice. Maggie wasn’t sure where the light in the cave came from, but it was beautiful. The ice reflected greens and blues of gorgeous hues. As with most things in her life recently, she just wished she was seeing all this in a different circumstance.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cave eventually led back outside. Sephiroth again jumped from ledge to ledge until they came to another cave. This cave was much like the first and traveling through it eventually led them higher. This time when they emerged, they were near the top. The rock directly above the cave curved outward at a strange, convex angle, so</span>
  <span> Sephiroth wasn’t able to jump straight up to continue. He sent Maggie to climb first so he could follow behind her. Climbing almost upside-down with nothing but air below her back</span>
  <span> made Maggie’s stomach churn a bit, but she knew Sephiroth would catch her if she slipped. She took her time, however, and managed to keep her grip steady. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Coming up over the ledge, she had to pause and admire what could only be described as magnificent. She stood up and stared at it, </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> joining her shortly after. From where they were, the land descended into the crater, and at the center, </span>
  <span>mako</span>
  <span> shot up like a giant fountain. A tempest swirled around it. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The call was so strong now that Maggie felt weak; she noticed a strained expression on Sephiroth’s face as well. She hated how trapped she felt, </span>
  <span>but the only hope of escaping whatever fate had in store for them was to face it head on.</span>
  <span> She felt the JENOVA cells inside of her pushing her forward… They would go with or without her. Maggie’s gut told her she wouldn’t survive if she tried to fight it. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They went down into the crater, but the further they went, the harder it became to move. It was as if there was a heavy weight pushing them down. The rocky terrain was uneven and zigged and </span>
  <span>zagged</span>
  <span> back and forth towards the center. Several times, the wind was too much to </span>
  <span>walk through, and they had to wait for it to subside before they could keep going. Eventually though, Maggie finally had to collapse to her knees. </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span>, feeling it too, knelt down beside her. </span>
  <span>“Let’s rest here a moment,”</span>
  <span> he said </span>
  <span>with effort</span>
  <span>.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie lay down against the hard rocks. “It’s too much,” she said. “I don’t think I can make it.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth’s arms shook. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Did we really come this far only to end here?</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>He pulled Maggie into his arms and stared towards the fountain. Towards where the Planet was still trying to heal itself from an injury thousands of years ago… An injury caused by JENOVA. The magnitude of such force weighed on him… How could such a being be defeated? Given how weak they both felt, </span>
  <span>the futility of their efforts became apparent: this wasn’t a battle they could win. </span>
  <span>He felt the real Sephiroth's powerful will</span>
  <span>.</span>
  <span> He had believed that real Sephiroth</span>
  <span> was the shadow</span>
  <span>, but now that he was here, he knew it was the other way around. He had never been anything more than a puppet. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked down at Maggie; her breathing was labored and her nose and cheeks were red from the cold. He thought back to when they had first met and what he had said to her once they were free of </span>
  <span>Midgar</span>
  <span>: </span>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Come with me.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
  <span> He had thought at the time that she was to pitied, that he owed it to her to protect her, but in reality, he had led her to her grave. Their lives, their moments of happiness: those were an illusion. He held onto her, feeling a true despair overtake him. With everything else they had been forced to face; he had finally found the one thing that he truly could not stand: losing her.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie brought her hand slowly up to his face and smiled weakly at him. “It’s okay,” she said, resigned. “It’s okay.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Footsteps approached from behind them. </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> turned to see stumbling figures cloaked in black. There was a line of them, all shambling and moaning, “The Great </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span>…” </span>
  <span>Sephiroth’s</span>
  <span> despair was replaced with anger— they were all the disgusting spawn of that monster. Each one was a piece of him that would make it even more powerful. He laid Maggie down and summoned forth his weapon. </span>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He surged forward and struck them down with ease, sending many flying into the depths below. </span>
  <span>He spun around in rage and sliced</span>
  <span> through them; a wolf among sheep. They were mindless, unfeeling things. He was not like them, and yet he too had been used, controlled. He swung again, reeling against </span>
  <span>that unyielding will</span>
  <span>, and his inability to fight it. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie watched, unable to move. She saw what he was trying to do. He was fighting what he could instead of what he could not. Soon though, she began to convulse. She knew that even though she could not move, the cells inside her would. That heart beat throbbed in her chest and she felt herself fade away. She didn’t know if it was literal or in her mind, but she could no longer see her body, only the events that unfolded before her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When only two of the cloaked figures remained, </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> spoke, </span>
  <span>“This is the end… for all of you,”</span>
  <span> and then cut them down as well. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span>!!!” a familiar voice yelled. “This is the end.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth did not turn to face Cloud and his friends. Instead, he spoke with defeat, feeling himself disappearing into shadow. </span>
  <span>“You’re right. This is the end of this body’s usefulness.”</span>
  <span> Like Maggie had just moments before, he disappeared from view. The air grew hazy and dark. Cloud and his friends looked around in confusion. The throbbing of JENOVA’s heart beat loudly. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Our purpose is to deliver the b</span>
  <span>lack </span>
  <span>materia</span>
  
  <span>to our master,”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth’s voice came through the darkness. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Our…?” Cloud said, as if in question.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I feel something… Danger?” spoke one of his friends. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Those who carry JENOVA’s cells…”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth </span>
  <span>explained.</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Master…” Cloud again didn’t understand.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>Of course</span>
  <span>… Sephiroth.”</span>
  <span> He knew there was no denying it for him or Cloud. They were both helpless puppets </span>
  <span>to the real Sephiroth:</span>
  <span> there could be no other term but ‘master’.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Heh, heh, heh…”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth laughed, feeling madness overtake him. He appeared again, high in the air above them, sword brandished; he would keep Cloud from reaching their master if he could. One less piece for that monster to get ahold of. He flew down towards them and swung, knocking them to the ground as he landed. He took a few paces, sighed, and turned to face them. He called forth those JENOVA cells hidden nearby in Maggie, which had already begun to release themselves from their fleshy confines. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cells from her and Sephiroth combined and formed into yet another monstrous, tentacled creature that lashed out and attacked. Red light shot from it, and terrible magic. The way JENOVA used magic was without the use of </span>
  <span>materia</span>
  <span> and completely alien to this world. Despite this, however, Cloud and his friends were able to defeat it. Just as they had numerous times in the past. Perhaps, JENOVA didn’t think they were worth its whole effort… or maybe it had never intended to win to begin with. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As the battle ended, Sephiroth and Maggie stayed in shadow. They no longer had control of their own bodies. JENOVA </span>
  <span>and the real Sephiroth’s</span>
  <span> power were far too strong here to fight. The black </span>
  <span>materia</span>
  <span> lay on the ground before Cloud and his friends. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“JENOVA’s cells…” Cloud spoke, “…hmmm. So that’s what this is all about. The JENOVA Reunion…”   </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span>!?” exclaimed </span>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span>. “You mean all this time it wasn’t </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> we’ve been after?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cloud shook his head. “I’ll explain later. Right now, the only thing I’m thinking about is beating </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span>.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span> folded her arms and looked down, confused. “But </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> is…”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cloud pointed towards the center of the crater. “He’s here. The real </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> is just beyond here.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>So, you feel it too…</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s both incredibly wicked and cruel…” Cloud continued, “and it’s releasing a powerfully strong will from deep within the Planet’s wound.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>And yet that will doesn’t crush you the way it does me… Maybe there isn’t as much of the monster in you.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cloud bent down and picked up the </span>
  <span>black </span>
  <span>materia</span>
  <span>. “…The black </span>
  <span>materia</span>
  <span> is back in our hands,” he said with confidence. “Now all we have to do is defeat Sephiroth and that’ll be the end of it.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Perhaps that is what makes you all the easier to manipulate.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span> looked at Cloud with an unsure expression. “We’d better not take the black </span>
  <span>materia</span>
  <span> any further. Why don’t you give it to someone else to</span>
  <span> hold on to?”  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cloud nodded, walked over to Barret, and handed it to him. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Damn! The pressure’s on now,” the large man said with apparent discomfort. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cloud looked at Barret with a serious expression. “Don’t give it to ANYONE. I’m counting on you.” Then he </span>
  <span>ran back towards</span>
  
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span> and Red XIII. “We’re going in first! You guys stay and keep watch.” The three of them ran off, leaving the remainder of </span>
  <span>Cloud’s friends to </span>
  <span>wait uneasily. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s too easy. It all falls into his hands with little to no effort on his own part.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie felt completely disconnected from reality and all that was happening. She saw it all, and yet had little to no thought of her own. She merely observed and waited. After a while, Barret spoke: “Are Cloud and the others alright?” He looked down at the black </span>
  <span>materia</span>
  <span> in his hand. “But what’s up with that? One little piece of materia, destroying the Planet…” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Too easy.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>A dark green haze filled the air, separating Barret from his other companions. “What the…!?” he exclaimed. “The hell was that? H—huh!?” He ran through the haze looking for his friends. “Hey… guys! Where are we? Where did we end up?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Like a twisted and malicious smile, the JENOVA cells twisted and reformed themselves and became the image of </span>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span>, who ran towards Barret. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So, this is the power of JENOVA…</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Barret, you’re here! I’m so glad!!” it called. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The haze disappeared as Barret turned to face it. “</span>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span>!!” He ran to meet it. “Something’s weird here! It got pitch black of a sudden, and everyone disappeared!” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everyone’s waiting!” it continued, “Cloud’s in trouble! Please come. Help us!” It turned the image of </span>
  <span>Tifa’s</span>
  <span> body around. “Over there!”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Barret folded his arms as if sensing something was off, but then relaxed them to his sides. “Yea… yeah. I don’t know what’s going on, but let’s just get on with it.” He nodded his head and then ran on ahead. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once he was gone, the image of </span>
  <span>Tifa</span>
  <span> laughed, “…Hee </span>
  <span>hee</span>
  
  <span>hee</span>
  <span>… And remember…” it struck a disgustingly cute pose before morphing into the image of Sephiroth, </span>
  <span>“…the black </span>
  <span>materia</span>
  <span>!”</span>
  <span> It held </span>
  <span>its</span>
  <span> hands up and smiled gleefully before camouflaging back into the surroundings. The rest of Cloud’s companions </span>
  <span>reappeared on the ground, groaning. They slowly picked themselves up</span>
  <span> and looked around, confused. Once they saw that Barret was gone, they raced after him, realizing that something was wrong. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>At this point, the tools had served their usefulness in JENOVA’s plot. </span>
  <span>Sephiroth and Maggie had played their part according to the plan: they had led Cloud and his friends here, who would now deliver the black </span>
  <span>materia</span>
  <span> to the master of the play.</span>
  <span> Maggie and Sephiroth sank to the ground, feeling weak and defeated, the weight of that powerful will completely crippling them.  </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t much longer until everything began to shake and crumble around them. The roars of something gigantic and ancient rang through the air. With what little strength he had left, </span>
  <span>Sephiroth</span>
  <span> reached out and grabbed Maggie’s hand. He held it tightly as the ground beneath them gave way and they plummeted into darkness.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I have one more part for you to play,”</span>
  <span> came a deep, melodious voice through the darkness. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth opened his eyes and saw himself standing over him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No, that’s not right.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You must be…”</span>
  <span> His voice came out hoarse and cracked. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I am he from whom you were made.”</span>
  <span> T</span>
  <span>he</span>
  <span> original Sephiroth reached out a hand, offering it to Sephiroth. He took it and let the original help pull him to his feet. </span>
  <span>“It seems Hojo was only able to make one…”</span>
  <span> he looked Sephiroth over, </span>
  <span>“perfect copy.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth looked around; they were standing in darkness. He had no idea what was up or down, left or right. </span>
  <span>“Where are we?”</span>
  <span> he asked. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The original smiled. </span>
  <span>“We are deep in the crater, very close to the Planet’s core. I have summoned Meteor. Once it crashes into the world, I will have all I require to merge with this planet. I will sail the cosmos as a God, just like my mother before me.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth thought of JENOVA and felt sick. The fact that she was considered motherly or godly in any way was demented. The person standing before him may have been the original Sephiroth, but they were not the same person— at least, not anymore. Sephiroth put a hand to his head and looked around once more. </span>
  <span>“Where is—?”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The girl?”</span>
  <span> The original turned to show the golden-haired woman lying on the ground a few feet away. </span>
  <span>“A surprise to say in the least, but she has served her purpose. She will soon return.”</span>
  <span> Next to where Maggie lay was the disembodied head of JENOVA. As soon as the original finished speaking, its eyes sprang open and its mouth spread into a grin. It looked at Maggie joyously. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have done well, daughter. Thank you for bringing my body to me.” Tentacles lashed out from the head, wrapped around Maggie’s body, and began pulling her to it. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maggie!”</span>
  <span> Sephiroth exclaimed. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The original looked towards Sephiroth and smiled. “Fear not, </span>
  <span>for she soon will be whole again.” </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie turned weakly towards Sephiroth and spoke with defeat and acceptance. “It’s okay … We… were never meant to exist in the first place.”</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s right,”</span>
  <span> said the original. </span>
  <span>“You are both products of a deranged mind, built to serve human’s selfish desires, but I will make you whole. I will give you the life you were meant to have, and I will claim everything the humans have tried to take from us.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth didn’t care if that was true or not. He didn’t care that </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> had created him— copied him— from </span>
  <span>someone</span>
  <span> else. He didn’t care that Maggie had been born through terrible experiments like the original had. All he cared was that they had been born and that they had found each other. What the man standing before him offered was not a life where they would be together, but a life where their conscious minds would no longer exist. He did not want to return to where he was ‘supposed’ to be if that is what it meant. He wanted to end JENOVA, end the man in front of him who dared to think his will was above the will of all others. He clenched his fists in anger. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie could already feel JENOVA’s mind starting to overwhelm hers; she knew it wouldn’t be long now before everything that made her Margaret Simonson would be consumed. She looked at Sephiroth. “Don’t,” she said, seeing and feeling the rage coming from him. “It’s better this way.” Sephiroth looked towards her, their eyes locking, and he understood. He saw it, just before she faded into white light: the look of determination and fury. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the light faded, only JENOVA remained. Her head was properly attached to her vaguely female body, tentacles all in place. She sighed and hugged herself. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whole at last,” she</span>
  <span> said breathily. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The original turned to Sephiroth. </span>
  <span>“Now for you. There is still time to prepare until Meteor strikes, but it doesn’t mean that we’re in the clear. </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> will most likely make an attempt to foil us. Fight for me, protect this place, and then when Meteor strikes, we too will become one.”</span>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth felt a callus form over his heart. He knew there was no other way; he knew he could not fight the way he had in the past. He nodded to the original. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And now we sleep, watch, and wait.”</span>
  <span> The original faded from view and soon Sephiroth and JENOVA did too. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth could feel the coursing of the life through the Planet. He could hear its screams of pain. JENOVA was an infection that it had not been able to cure. From deep within the Planet, they were able to see all life above and below. They could see humanity band together against the threat of Meteor looming in the sky. They could see the barrier that the original Sephiroth had erected in order to protect himself until Meteor’s impact. In the end, Sephiroth’s and Maggie’s hopes relied on humanity,</span>
  
  <span>and on the military might of the evil corporation that had created them. </span>
  <span>Shinra</span>
  <span> could break the barrier, but someone would have to descend deep into the Planet to fight the original. When the time came, they wouldn’t remain helpless— they would do all they could to aid in the fight. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they slept, Maggie did all she could to hold herself together inside JENOVA; after all, part of her would always be human— she had had human parents, just as Sephiroth had. </span>
  <span>Maggie knew that she was never JENOVA; nothing about JENOVA defined who she was as a person</span>
  <span>… JENOVA was just a parasite. Maggie’s mind and her body were her own. She used all of her will to keep her mind focused on Margaret Simonson and on her love for her Sephiroth. She just had to hold on and not lose herself in that dark place. They couldn’t have the life they dreamed of, but neither of them was ready to admit defeat. There were indeed monstrous humans, but Maggie had known plenty of humans in her lifetime, and only a handful that she had met had been vile. There were plenty of humans who were good and wonderful. The world would have to change, but it was worth saving, and Maggie believed that she had shown her Sephiroth that. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the final fight finally came, it was, of course, Cloud and his friends who came to stop the original Sephiroth. JENOVA was one of the first to fight. That was when Maggie sprang to action: she exerted all the will she had been storing up and attacked JENOVA’s consciousness. This wasn’t a battle of strength, but a battle of will within the mind of JENOVA. All Maggie had to do was be sure that she would win. </span>
  <span>She found its sickening body, walked up to it, and punched it in the face.</span>
  <span>  It was enough to throw JENOVA off kilter for sure. Maggie also knew that it wasn’t this battle she had to win; she just had to distract JENOVA long enough for Cloud and his friends to finish her. She fought with everything that she had, ripping tentacles and scratching. Internally, JENOVA screamed, and when she finally got Maggie back under her control, it was the opening that Cloud needed. There was a feeling of surprise from JENOVA and Maggie felt a wave of victory. “Take that, </span>
  <span>you</span>
  <span> parasitic bitch,” Maggie said as she felt the cells of JENOVA melt away into the Lifestream. All that was left was the human named Venus who had grown up as Maggie. She saw her physical form drift away and return to the Planet. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her spirit, however, was soon embraced. Two emerald eyes and a pink smile welcomed her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Aeris!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Maggie thought more than spoke. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman nodded. </span>
  <em>
    <span>My prayer was answered</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she too spoke in thought. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie looked at her in confusion. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Answered your prayer? It’s because of us that you... </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aeris shook her head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I prayed for a way to defeat Sephiroth. This was the only way. We needed to have people fighting on both sides. I expected you to make the same great sacrifice without even asking, and I’m thankful you did. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She looked at Maggie with a serious expression. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Let’s not make it in vain; come on.  </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie and Aeris flowed through the Lifestream towards where the fight continued. Maggie’s Sephiroth was fighting, though his form had changed. She hardly recognized what he had become— without her, he had embraced the mutation within and fought against Cloud and his friends. Aeris looked to Maggie. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Let him know it’s time to let go. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Maggie nodded and reached towards him. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had felt like an eternity of darkness. He went through the motions, not really sure of what he was waiting for or if he was waiting for anything at all. Sephiroth felt hollow. His body completely subject to the will of the original Sephiroth. What was once human had become multiple torsos, faces, and limbs with rippling muscles. What was once hair now wrapped into horns and emerald wings. Sephiroth had allowed the original to twist him into a new creature. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If she is gone, truly gone, then this is fitting.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>The last thing she had said, the look in her eyes... he hoped rather than believed it meant something, that somehow it meant their fight was not over. Because of that, regardless of what his body was subjected to, he wouldn’t let his mind go. He had to hold on for her. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth was glad that it was Cloud that came. He had no intention of winning this battle and Cloud deserved retribution for the things that Sephiroth, both the original and himself, had done. He knew it would be over soon and welcomed each blow as penance for his crimes. His body fought on, though his will was not in it. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the depths of his despair, that shining light of his life returned: </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m here. I won. You don’t have to fight anymore. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth felt her warmth envelope him and he submitted. It was time to drop the façade. The final blow was struck and he, like Maggie, surrendered his physical form to return to the Planet. All the monstrosity was stripped away and all that was left was the spirit of a man whose wants and desires amounted to one thing...   </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked </span>
  <span>for</span>
  <span> Maggie, and upon seeing her, all his doubts and worries vanished. Her eyes were still brown, her hair still gold. She was as she always was: unremarkably wonderful. She smiled at him and embraced him. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>There is still more to do, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Aeris told them.</span>
  <span> Sephiroth turned and looked at her, puzzled. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I need you to stop the original Sephiroth. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>But, we’re dead now, aren’t we?</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>Sephiroth asked. </span>
  <em>
    <span>H</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>ow</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span> can we possibly—?</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The same way I reached out to you,</span>
  </em>
  
  <em>
    <span>but not in a nice way, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Maggie said.</span>
  <em>
    <span> You are his perfect copy, so you should be able to attack his consciousness directly, the way I was able to attack JENOVA’s. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth nodded. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can feel him.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Yes, </span>
  </em>
  <span>said Maggie, </span>
  <em>
    <span>let’s go… together.</span>
  </em>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They followed the flow of the Lifestream to where a massive will choked it, stopping its flow. Cloud and company were already engaging it in combat. Sephiroth summoned his </span>
  <span>masamune</span>
  <span> and thrust </span>
  <span>the blade</span>
  <span> into the spot that was suffocating the Planet. He couldn’t have won against the physical original, but Sephiroth was no longer bound by the confines of a physical body. He gutted the spot and pulled out the spirit belonging to the original. </span>
  <span>The physical frame of the one-winged angel disintegrated from view, leaving only its original’s form: a tall man with long silver hair wearing nothing but his black pants and boots. It looked at Sephiroth coolly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Surprising. You think this will stop me?</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>No,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Sephiroth replied back, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think someone else would like that honor.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>He, Maggie, and Aeris faded from view as they felt a determined and angry spirit rush towards the area. The original stared up and waited. Cloud’s spirit descended, ready to fight, sword in hand. Before there was time to react, Cloud slashed over and over until that evil spirit burst and dispersed into the Lifestream. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cloud watched in awe as the beauty of the Lifestream surrounded him. Aeris frowned with concern.</span>
  <em>
    <span> He’ll get stuck here if he doesn’t leave soon</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>They watched as she floated towards him, reached out to him with a pained smile on her face, and guided him back to his body and the living world. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now that the chokehold was gone, Holy rushed forth from the Planet to stop Meteor. Aeris looked around in worry, as if listening to a chorus of conversation. She looked back to Maggie and Sephiroth.</span>
  <em>
    <span> At this rate, Holy, the white </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>materia</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>, will be too late to stop Meteor. We have to start gathering what energy we can from the planet. </span>
  </em>
  
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They could feel all the life and knowledge of the Planet coursing around them. Cloud and everyone had done all they could. </span>
  <span>Aeris, Sephiroth, and Maggie were the last</span>
  <span> line of defense. Aeris clasped her hands to pray and direct the energy towards Meteor. She looked to Sephiroth. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Clear the way. </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sephiroth held Maggie close to him and </span>
  <span>summoned forth his blade again. He surged forward </span>
  <span>and cut through the earth, making a clear path for the Lifestream to emerge from the ground near where Meteor was striking. It was too much energy to come out all at one spot, so he made openings as he went. Maggie held onto Sephiroth as tightly as she could, praying with Aeris that this would work. She wasn’t a </span>
  <span>Cetra</span>
  <span>, so she wasn’t sure if the planet could hear her pray, but it was all she could do. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Lifestream began to burst from the Planet, surging towards Meteor. They couldn’t see what all was happening, but they could feel the enormous mass of energy move and encircle the falling rock. Slowly, piece by piece, it dissolved into the Lifestream. In essence, Meteor had the opposite effect as what was intended: instead of wounding the planet, it would help replenish some of what had been lost over all the years of mako refinement and previous injuries to the planet. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maggie </span>
  <span>felt overcome with emotion. H</span>
  <span>er life had not amounted to much in 27 years, but this moment— being part of why this planet would continue to live, and being with the one she loved most— </span>
  <span>that was reason enough to be happy</span>
  <span>. Her memories from the last few weeks... She felt she had lived a lifetime in those moments. They wouldn’t have a life and grow old together, but they would be together always. Light burned as Meteor dissipated, and Sephiroth held Maggie closely. </span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the light faded, they looked at each other, then kissed each other fervently. </span>
  <span>All the pain of existence was gone—</span>
  <span> there was nothing that mattered anymore besides each other. They had both played parts they never intended to play, but in the end they both had been able to maintain the one thing that mattered to them most: their free will. </span>
  <span>They loved each other knowing that the only reason they loved each other was because they wanted to. Maybe it was a presumptuous thing to believe, but if they had not existed, if they had not loved each other, the Planet would not have survived.</span>
  
  <span>The humans of the world would never know that the final blows towards victory had been struck on the other side. </span>
  
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, 15 year old me really wanted to create a Sephiroth romance story that was believable, it just took 30 year old me to actually accomplish it. According to a friend of mine, apparently the idea needed to age like a fine wine. A HUGE thank you to a different friend, Robin, who gave me not only the inspiration to finally finish it, but tirelessly went through every line, edited, and gave me feedback! It's because of her that I think it turned out as well as it did. Hopefully, you enjoyed the story and can see all the places it ties in with the original story. Again, I just really wanted to make something believable with the canon.</p>
<p>Also, for those of you wondering, Maggie is NOT AT ALL like myself and I didn't indulge myself in any way even though it's a fanfiction ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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